China News Service, Beijing, August 14th, title: Israel and the UAE achieve full-scale normalization of relations, the historical "ice-breaking" difficult situation
China News Agency reporter Liu Xu
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates issued a statement on the 13th local time that the UAE Crown Prince Mohammed of Abu Dhabi, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and U.S. President Trump reached an agreement after a tripartite call that day, agreeing to the full normalization of relations between the UAE and Israel. .
Historic "ice-breaking" opened a new situation
A joint statement issued by the three parties stated that the two countries will sign an agreement in the next few weeks, covering investment, tourism, direct flights, security, and establishing each other's embassies.
The statement said that at the request of President Trump and with the support of the UAE, Israel will suspend the "implementation of sovereignty" over the regions mentioned in the US "New Middle East Peace Plan" and will focus on expanding its relations with other Arab and Islamic countries. .
Radio France International reported that this statement made the UAE the first Gulf Arab country to establish diplomatic relations with Israel and the third Arab country to establish diplomatic relations with Israel. Prior to this, both Jordan and Egypt reached a peace agreement with Israel.
Netanyahu said that this breakthrough agreement is a "historic day" for Israel and welcomes the arrival of a "new era" of relations between Israel and the Arab world. Demer, the Israeli ambassador to the United States, also described this day as a "great day of peace."
Reuters believes that as Trump is seeking re-election, the signing of the agreement can be regarded as one of his diplomatic achievements.
Regional and country statements are intriguing
After the joint statement was issued, Trump called it a "great breakthrough" on social media. He also said, “Now that the ice has broken, I expect more Arab and Islamic countries will follow the UAE’s approach.”
Bahrain, which is also a Gulf country with the UAE, congratulated the UAE on reaching an agreement with the United States and Israel to prevent Israel from annexing Palestinian territories. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bahrain issued a statement saying that the agreement will help increase the chances of achieving peace in the Middle East. Bahrain appreciates the “sincere diplomatic efforts” of the UAE and emphasizes that this historic step will help strengthen peace and stability in the region. However, the statement did not make a specific assessment of the normalization of bilateral relations between the UAE and Israel.
Coincidentally, Egyptian President Sisi also did not mention the normalization of relations. He said on social media, “I have carefully read the joint statement between the United States, the United Arab Emirates and Israel on stopping Israel’s annexation of Palestinian land, and I deeply appreciate it.”
British Prime Minister Johnson welcomed the normalization of relations between the two countries and Israel's decision not to annex the occupied territories of the West Bank. He said on Twitter: "I deeply hoped that (Israel) would not annex the West Bank. Today's agreement to suspend this plan is a welcome step on the road to a more peaceful Middle East."
Palestine-Israel "dilemma" is difficult to solve with Arab-Israeli peace
According to the UAE’s official news agency, the UAE’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Garjas stated that “this decisive freezing of the Palestinian territory is a major diplomatic achievement. It further strengthens the UAE’s belief that the establishment of normal relations with Israel will enable It can play a direct and constructive role in enhancing the security and stability of the region."
The Wall Street Journal analyzed that the UAE’s move was deliberate and believed that the suspension of Israel’s annexation was sufficient to quell criticisms of its improvement of relations with its “old enemy” Israel. But the article also reminded that the UAE's move will increase pressure on Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries to follow suit.
The French "Le Monde" article pointed out that in recent years, Israel has developed informal cooperation with Bahrain, UAE and Saudi Arabia and other countries in this region to seek normalization of relations with these countries, and try to establish a relationship with Arab countries. The normalization of relations between the Palestinians and Israel prompted the Palestinians to reach a peace agreement.
Despite this, the “ice breaking” between the UAE and Israel still triggered a strong reaction from the Palestinian side. The Palestinian leader made it clear that it "rejected and condemned" the agreement reached between the UAE and Israel, believing that "the agreement betrayed Jerusalem." The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that in response to the agreement, it is recalling the Palestinian ambassador to the UAE. Al Jazeera’s website also pointed out that many Arab organizations have criticized the agreement.
The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) described the incident as a "reward for the crimes of Israeli occupation." Hamas spokesman Barhum said: "The normalization of Israeli-Arab relations is a stab in the back of our people."
Yemen’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohamed Hadramie said: “The Republic of Yemen’s position remains firm, and its position on the cause of Palestine and the inalienable rights of fellow Palestinians will not change. It will not change its position on the establishment of an independent state with the Holy City Jerusalem as its capital. The position will not change."
The opposition Islamic Action Front in Jordan’s parliament stated that the agreement was a murder of the Palestinian cause and a betrayal of the Arab people’s position. The Arab people refused to normalize all forms of relations with the Israeli enemy. (Finish)