Intelligence Min: Additional peace deals prior to Trump exit unlikely
"The chance that this could happen is very low," Intelligence Minister Eli Cohen said.
By TOVAH LAZAROFFINTELLIGENCE MINISTER Eli Cohen: Rising fast.(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)
It's unlikely that the US can broker additional normalization deals between Israel and Arab and Muslim states in the next month, Intelligence Minister Eli Cohen (Likud) told Army Radio on Wednesday."The chance that this could happen is very low," he said.He listed six countries that Israel could normalize ties within the next year. He listed Saudi Arabia, Oman, Niger and Mauritania.The latter had established full diplomatic ties in 1999, but broke them off almost a decade later to protest the Gaza war of December 2008-January 2009.He also spoke of two Asian countries that could forge formal ties with Israel, but he did not name them.Cohen, however, has named Indonesia in the past. In addition, there has been media speculation about Pakistan."There is a chance to do these deals in the next years, but not by January 20," he said, referencing the date by which the Trump administration is scheduled to leave office.The actions of US President-elect Joe Biden are critical to the continuation of the Abraham Accords, Cohen said. Those accorded were brokered by the Trump administration. Under their rubric four normalization deals between Israel and Arab and Muslim states have been announced; United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco."If Biden will continue with Trump's policies, with determination against Iran, that is the number one sponsor of terror, continue with the sanctions [against Tehran], and show courage, then we can continue with these deals," Cohen said.
