Trump administration working on deals between Israel, Arab countries
It is unclear for how long annexation would remain suspended but it is unlikely that anything would happen before the end of the year.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFFUS President Donald Trump stands in front of a US flag as he participates in a roundtable on donating plasma during a visit to the American Red Cross National Headquarters in Washington, US, July 30, 2020(photo credit: REUTERS/CARLOS BARRIA/FILE PHOTO)
The Trump administration is in talks with additional Arab countries in the Middle East and there is a chance that the deal between Israel and the United Arab Emirates will lead to the normalization of ties between Israel and other countries, senior US officials said on Thursday.In addition, the officials said that the use of the word “suspend” in the statement announcing normalization in reference to the application of Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank settlements was accepted by all three leaders and that “suspend is by nature temporary.”It is unclear for how long annexation would remain suspended but it is unlikely that anything would happen before the end of the year.While President Donald Trump was personally involved in the talks that led to Thursday’s announcement, the three principals in the administration that led the effort were Jared Kushner, the president’s senior adviser, US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman and Avi Berkowitz, the president’s special envoy to the Middle East.The efforts gained steam in July and led to Israel’s decision to skip the original July 1 date that Netanyahu had spoken about for annexation. The administration felt that the opportunity for Israel to normalize ties with the UAE was a “better choice” that could not miss out.“In the long term this will solidify security,” one official said.Peace between Israel and the UAE, the officials said, presented Israel with an opportunity for “real peace” with an Arab country unlike the cold peace it has with Egypt and Jordan since Israel and the UAE were never enemies and never fought against one another.
