Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced this evening (Thursday) a peace agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates.
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At a press conference held at the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem, Netanyahu said:
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"Good evening, citizens of Israel, this is a historic evening. Today a new era has begun in the relations of the State of Israel with the Arab world. A little while ago I held a historic conference call with the President of the United States, Donald Trump, and with the Crown Prince of the United Arab Emirates of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed. In this call, we decided to establish a formal and full peace between Israel and the United Arab Emirates. The United Arab Emirates is one of the most powerful and advanced countries in the world.
This agreement includes full diplomatic relations, the establishment of embassies, the exchange of ambassadors, extensive investments that will greatly benefit the Israeli economy, especially at this time - the Corona, but in general, trade relations, tourism, aviation - including direct flights between Tel Aviv and Abu Dhabi. The United Arab Emirates will invest a very significant amount in Israel in the development of a vaccine for the Corona virus. We will also cooperate in energy, water, environmental protection and many other areas. This is very important for our economy, for the economy of the region, for our future. Israel is a leading innovative country, a rising global power - and so is the United Arab Emirates, which consists of seven emirates on the shores of the Persian Gulf, including, as you know, Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
We foster progress, and they foster progress. We foster knowledge and entrepreneurship, and they foster knowledge and entrepreneurship. We turned a desert into a flourishing country, and they too turned a desert into a flourishing country. We see the skyscrapers there, the towers, the luxury hotels, the magnificent artificial islands, I assure you - it is very impressive. We also saw the spacecraft that was just launched into space. Together, with joint forces, Israel and the United Arab Emirates can bring a wonderful future to our people, a wonderful future for our people, for our countries, for our region.
The warm and friendly conversation with President Trump and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed was incredibly moving. This is a historic moment of a breakthrough for peace in the Middle East. In 1979, the late Prime Minister Menachem Begin established a peace agreement with Egypt. In 1994, the late Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin established a peace agreement with Jordan. And now, in 2020, the great privilege falls to me.
After years of effort, dreaming about it, and working for it, I have the great privilege of establishing the third peace treaty between Israel and an Arab-Muslim country. As early as 2009, I emphasized the extraordinary entrepreneurial achievements that I see in the Persian Gulf, and I was referring to the United Arab Emirates. I said then about these achievements – "which amaze the whole world, and me too." I called on the talented entrepreneurs of the Arab world to cooperate with us, to create a horizon of opportunity and hope for the region.
I always believed that this was possible, and therefore I invested in cultivating relations with leading countries in the Arab and Muslim world. I did this consistently, step by step over the years. Among other things, I visited Oman, met with the President of Sudan, and held diplomatic contacts throughout the region, for which silence is still beautiful. We have led a huge change in our relations with the countries of the region, and today this change is ripening into a formal peace agreement with the United Arab Emirates.
This agreement demonstrates the dramatic change we have brought about in Israel's status in the Middle East. While for decades Israel was portrayed as an enemy, as a source of instability in the Middle East – today many countries see Israel as a strategic ally for stability, security, progress and also peace. And I would like to tell you: there will be additional Arab and Muslim countries that will join the circle of peace with us. All of us, citizens of the moderate countries in the Middle East, stand on one front for progress and on one front against the extremist forces that threaten us and the peace of the world.
Establishing true peace is our soul's desire - a peace that preserves security and the most precious assets of our people, a peace that keeps war away and not brings it closer, a peace based on fruitful economic cooperation and genuine mutual respect. True peace - not a slogan, peace from strength, peace in exchange for peace.
Here too, we have broken new ground - peace for peace. This is the only vision of peace that is sustainable, and I am committed to it. I say this as one who has seen the horrors of war, I say this as one who has experienced firsthand the terrible price of losing a beloved brother and comrades-in-arms who fell on the battlefield. I also say this as one who sends our sons and daughters to risk their lives to protect our existence. We are a people who seek peace, we are a people who pray for peace. And so I am sure, citizens of Israel, that on this historic day, when we establish peace with an important Arab country - you all welcome it.
"I want to thank with all my heart President Trump, one of Israel's greatest friends of all time, for bringing the official peace agreement between us to the United Arab Emirates. And I say to the people of the United Arab Emirates, and first of all to the Crown Prince – Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed: Salam alikum, shalom aleichem – and shalom alinu."
Prime Minister Netanyahu added:
"There is no change in my plan to apply our sovereignty in Judea and Samaria, in full coordination with the US. I am committed to this, that has not changed. I remind you that I am the one who put the issue of sovereignty in Judea and Samaria on the table. This issue continues to remain on the table. It even came to the table because of my efforts. I worked on this for three years in intensive talks with President Trump's team, and God willing, we brought results.
""President Trump recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, he moved the American embassy there, he recognized our sovereignty over the Golan Heights, he recognized the legality of the Israeli settlements in Judea and Samaria, and even more than that, President Trump included sovereignty at my request in his peace plan. They are there. None of this came about by chance. It didn't come about because people, who today are making all kinds of criticisms, did something about it - they did nothing. This is all an action that I carried out and maintained, and I am committed to it. But from the beginning I said one more thing, I repeated it time and time again - the implementation of sovereignty will be done only in coordination with the United States.
""Declaring sovereignty in Judea and Samaria without American support is, at best, worthless, and at worst, will be very harmful to the settlement and also to the State of Israel. Now, President Trump, who is one of the greatest friends of the State of Israel, who included sovereignty in his peace plan at my request, has asked that Israel temporarily wait with the implementation of sovereignty.".
""He first sought to bring about a peace agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, and I believe with other countries as well. But, I have not removed and will not remove the issue of sovereignty from the agenda, and just as I brought about peace with an Arab country, I will also bring about sovereignty. I am committed to sovereignty, I am committed to the Land of Israel, and I will never give up our rights in our country."
The agreement was signed in a phone call - in the middle of the Corona cabinet, which Netanyahu unexpectedly abandoned - between President Trump, the Prime Minister and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of the United Arab Emirates.
Gantz and Ashkenazi were informed about the historic move only after the conversation.
As part of the agreement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided to temporarily postpone the application of sovereignty in Judea and Samaria and the Jordan Valley.
The agreement between Jerusalem and Abu Dhabi will include the opening of embassies, direct flights between the countries, cooperation in the field of tourism, investments, and security cooperation.
The dramatic agreement also stipulates that Muslims will have wider access to the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
US President Donald Trump said: "I expect more Muslim countries to follow the UAE's lead.".
Earlier, he tweeted: "Big news today - a historic peace agreement between our two good friends, Israel and the United Arab Emirates.".
A senior political source clarified that the application of sovereignty in Judea and Samaria is still on the table. "Sovereignty is on the agenda and we are committed to it. The Trump administration requested a temporary suspension of the declaration in order to first implement the historic peace agreement with the Emirates.".
Jared Kushner said this evening: "There is a reasonable chance that in the coming days another country will join a peace agreement with Israel.".
The parties are in talks for a trilateral meeting at the White House.
