Israel / United Arab Emirates deal at the heart of Pompeo's visit to Jerusalem

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on August 24 in Jerusalem. Debbie Hill / Pool via REUTERS

Text by: RFI Follow

2 min

The first stop on US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's Middle East tour was Jerusalem. And at the center of his talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the normalization agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates.

Publicity

Read more

From our correspondent in Jérsulem,   Michel Paul

After his meeting with the US Secretary of State, Benyamin Netanyahu stressed that the normalization agreement with the United Arab Emirates is "  an alliance of moderates against radicals  ".

"  I advise our friends, and especially our European friends, to pay attention when Arabs and Israelis agree on something,  " added the Israeli prime minister.

Mike Pompeo wants to reassure Israel

For his part Mike Pompeo wanted to reassure his Israeli interlocutors about the project which is controversial in Israel on the sale of F-35 fighter bombers to the Emirates. Israeli military superiority will be preserved, he said.

“  We have over 20 years of security relations with the United Arab Emirates. And we will continue to re-examine this relationship so that we can deliver them the equipment they need to protect their people against the threat of the Islamic Republic of Iran. And we will do so in a way that also preserves our commitments to Israel,  ”said the US foreign minister.

Mike Pompeo also spoke with his Israeli counterpart, Gaby Ashkenazi and Defense Minister Benny Gantz. The next stages of his journey in the region will be Bahrain, but also Sudan.

►Also read: What can the Palestinians do after the agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates?

Newsletter Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox

I subscribe

Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application

google-play-badge_FR

  • Israel
  • United States
  • United Arab Emirates

On the same subject

What can the Palestinians do after the agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates?

United Arab Emirates and Israel establish first direct telephone contact

Palestinian factions unite against Israel-UAE peace deal