An Israeli official confirmed that the agreement with the UAE did not address the issue of annexing parts of the occupied West Bank.
While the normalization of Abu Dhabi and Manama with Tel Aviv raises more criticism;
Iran warned against granting bases to Israel in the region.
Roi Schaindorf - the deputy attorney general of the Israeli government who oversaw the drafting of the normalization agreement between Israel and the UAE - revealed in statements he made today, Wednesday:
Noting that the agreement does not include any terms related to annexing, or stopping the annexation and extension of Israeli sovereignty over any land in the West Bank.
In a rare interview with the Hebrew radio, Scheindrov said that the peace agreement generally mentioned the desire to reach a solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict through negotiations.
The Israeli official revealed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US President Donald Trump, and the foreign ministers of the UAE and Bahrain, Abdullah bin Zayed and Abdul Latif Al-Zayani;
Yesterday in Washington they signed 3 documents in English, Hebrew and Arabic, which are: the agreement of principles known as the "Abraham Agreement", the peace agreement between Israel and the UAE, and the declaration of peace between Israel and Bahrain, the details of which are not yet complete.
It was reported that the agreement between the UAE and Israel includes a clause suspending for several years to come Netanyahu's plan to annex up to 30% of the West Bank.
During the signing ceremony that took place at the White House, Trump considered that normalization between Israel and both the UAE and Bahrain represented a "new dawn" in the Middle East, and Netanyahu and Ministers Abdullah bin Zayed and Abdul Latif Al-Zayani praised this step by saying that it would strengthen peace in the region.
The US President said that 5 other countries will join the ongoing normalization process, adding that Saudi Arabia will join in due time.
For her part, White House spokeswoman Kylie McCainani said today that Trump actually expects that other Arab countries will recognize Israel in the next few weeks.
In an interview with Fox News, McKinani added that 3 peace agreements were announced within one month, including the Bahrain and UAE accord to normalize their relations with Israel.
Excerpts from the agreement
The normalization agreement between the UAE and Israel came that the two sides agreed on general principles that govern their relations in accordance with the United Nations Charter and international laws, and respect for their sovereignty and the right of each of them to live in peace and security.
The two sides also pledged to take important measures to prevent the use of each other's land to carry out a hostile or terrorist attack targeting the other party, and that each side will not support any hostile operations in the territories of the other party, and the agreement stipulates the recognition of the right to coexistence.
The two sides declared their readiness to engage with the United States in what the agreement called a "strategic agenda" for Middle East stability.
The Israeli-Emirati agreement also stipulated the establishment of peace through the normalization of diplomatic relations and the exchange of embassies, and cooperation in several areas, including: investment, aviation, health care, science and technology, energy, agriculture, education, and the environment.
On the other hand, the text of the normalization agreement signed between Israel and Bahrain stated the agreement to establish full diplomatic relations to enhance permanent security, avoid threats and the use of force. They also agreed to promote coexistence and what the agreement called "a culture of peace."
Bahrain and Israel agreed to discuss - during the coming weeks - cooperation agreements in several areas, including: investment, tourism, direct flights, security, communications, and even the exchange of opening embassies.
Rouhani said that the rulers of Arab countries who print with Israel have forgotten its crimes (Anatolia)
Israeli bases
In Tehran, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that the Arab countries that normalized their relations with Israel and wanted to hand them over bases in the region should bear the repercussions of this decision, which destabilizes security and stability.
During the Iranian government meeting, Rouhani added that this step contravenes the laws and violates the security of the region.
He also said that the rulers of these Arab countries have forgotten the crimes that Israel commits against the Palestinian people daily, and have turned their backs on the Islamic nation and their Arab identity, as he put it.
For his part, Ali Akbar Velayati, advisor to the Iranian leader, said that the countries that normalized relations with Israel in order to secure American support would lose this bet.
In the context, Palestinian Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh said that the normalization of some Arab countries with Israel is a painful thing, and a blow to the Arab consensus, adding that this normalization will not change the reality in any way.
The Palestinian presidency said that what happened yesterday in the White House in terms of signing agreements between the UAE, Bahrain and Israel will not achieve peace in the region.
The Palestinian leadership and factions strongly condemned the two agreements of normalization, and viewed them as a betrayal and a stab in the back of the Palestinian people, and a bombing of the Arab initiative and international legitimacy decisions.
Condemnation of Bahrain
in Bahrain, denounced the
17 political society and the
institution of
civil society agreement normalization with Israel, and said that he does not represent the
people of
Bahrain, and
will not produce peace.
Bahraini societies and institutions affirmed - in a joint statement - their adherence to the fundamentals of the Bahraini people regarding the just Palestinian cause, and to the provisions of the Bahraini constitution, which criminalizes normalization with the Zionist entity.
According to the text of the statement.
The statement added that "all forms of normalization by some countries did not produce peace and did not restore the rights of the usurped Palestinian people. Rather, the Israeli occupation prompted more crimes against Palestine and the sanctities of Arabs and Muslims, foremost of which is Jerusalem."
Among the signatories of the statement are the "National Democratic Unionist Gathering", "The Arab Islamic Center", "The General Federation of Bahrain Trade Unions" and the "Bahrain Bar Association."
The list of signatories also included the "Democratic Youth Society", the "Bahrain Society to Resist Normalization with the Zionist Enemy", the "Bahraini Women's Union" and the "Bahrain Women Society".
Prohibition Fatwa For
its part, the Palestine Scholars Association issued a fatwa stating the prohibition of normalization with the occupation, and said in a press conference held in Gaza that normalization is a major sin, as God has ruled on its owner for immorality, injustice, hypocrisy, apostasy and other rulings.
The Association's president, Marwan Abu Ras, said that normalization would grant the (Israeli) occupation legitimacy in the land of Palestine to do whatever it wanted with it, and stressed that all kinds of relationship with the enemy would work to strengthen it economically and support it politically.