President Donald Trump announced abraham`s agreement on August 13. This agreement will aim to normalize relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Israel has peace treaties with only two other Arab countries, Egypt (1979) and Jordan (1994). Read the transcript of Trump`s remarks here. 3 A list of these agreements can be found at mfa.gov.il/MFA/PressRoom/2020/Pages/PM-Netanyahu-hosts-historic-trilateral-summit-meeting-20-October-20202.aspx. 1 The text of the Abraham Accords Declaration is available on the U.S. Department of State website www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Abraham-Accords-signed-FINAL-15-Sept-2020-508-1.pdf. President Donald Trump: (02:20) My first trip as president was to Saudi Arabia in May 2017 and my speech to the assembled leaders of 54 Muslim countries. Each was his leader, his number one leader. It was an amazing event, really amazing. Very important event. I have made it clear that the problems of the Middle East can only be solved if people of all faiths unite to fight Islamic extremism and seek economic opportunities for people of all faiths. And if you look at what`s going on, you see that a lot of progress is being made that no one thought they could make.
And there are things going on that I can`t talk about, but they`re extremely positive. I would like to thank the leaders of Israel and the United Arab Emirates for their courage and leadership in reaching this enormous agreement. They will be known as the Abraham Accords. And I would like to ask our Ambassador David Friedman to explain why we are doing it and call it the Abrahamic Accord. Morocco has been on the map of Israeli tourists for years, largely because of the long-standing connection between the Jewish people in the two countries, but the first direct flight didn`t land in Marrakech until July 25, 2021. With the start of direct flights between Tel Aviv and Marrakech, tens of thousands of Israelis applied for entry visas at the Moroccan representation in Tel Aviv, but few were granted because they were not prepared for so many applications. However, Sudan is still closed to Israeli tourists because the normalization agreement has not yet been concluded. [1] For the full text of the Abaraham Agreement and the Israel-UAE/Bahrain Agreements, see CNN, 16 September 2020, www.cnn.com/2020/09/15/politics/israel-uae-abraham-accords-documents/index.html. Chinese interests in the region are focused on acquiring natural resources and promoting the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which depends on regional stability. Simply put, if the agreements lead to a reduction in conflict in the MENA region, China will benefit enormously.
But Beijing officials share the concern of many analysts that the Abraham Accord will eventually fuel polarization and radicalization in the region. If so, it will be at the expense of the future success of the BRI. Trade between Morocco and Israel is still relatively low, but enthusiasm is high and trade is expected to grow in the coming month after the two countries formed chambers of commerce and implemented agreements signed during Lapid`s visit. Trade relations between Sudan and Israel are still quite limited and trade is not reaching its potential as they have not yet reached their agreement. 6 On the text of the joint declaration, see: www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Joint-Declaration-US-Morrocco-Israel.pdf. 19 As regards the wording of the Chile-Argentina Agreement, see www.un.org/Depts/los/LEGISLATIONANDTREATIES/PDFFILES/TREATIES/CHL-ARG1984PF.PDF. The Abraham Accords were a joint statement between Israel, the United Arab Emirates and the United States, concluded on August 13, 2020. [1] It was then also used to collectively refer to the agreements between Israel and the United Arab Emirates (the Israel-UAE Normalization Agreement) and Bahrain (the Bahrain-Israel Normalization Agreement). [2] However, at the level of the institutions themselves, despite COVID-19, many delegations have found a way to meet and exchange ideas and knowledge. For example, Bar-Ilan University in Ramat-Gan and Gulf Medical University in Ajman have signed an agreement that includes the exchange of undergraduate, graduate and graduate students, as well as joint publications and the development of joint programs in medical sciences, medical education and health systems management.
Delegations from Israel`s Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs (JCPA) and the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) visited the Emirates Policy Center (EPC) in Abu Dhabi, with inSS signing a memorandum of understanding with the Emirati think tank. The recently signed 25-year deal between China and Iran is an important example of Beijing`s growing involvement in the region. However, he is far from the only one. During his last visit to Syria in July 2021, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said, “China and Syria have always trusted each other and always supported each other.” This stands in stark contrast to U.S.-Syrian relations and serves as a clear indication of how China views its position in the Middle East in a broader sense. It was Wang`s second visit to the region in the past six months, after his visit to Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Bahrain in March. 17 For the text of the Khartoum resolutions of 1 September 1967, see the website of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs: mfa.gov.il/mfa/foreignpolicy/peace/guide/pages/the%20khartoum%20resolutions.aspx. President Trump has played an important role in facilitating these agreements by making significant concessions, and China has taken a different approach. A day after the first announcement of the agreements, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said Beijing was “happy” that countries are taking steps to reduce tensions in the Middle East, but added: “We hope that the parties concerned can take concrete steps so that the Palestinian issue can return to equal dialogue and negotiations.” Zhao`s emphasis on China`s continued support for Palestine rather than the deals can be seen as part of Beijing`s efforts to focus on its broader regional agenda and differentiate itself from the United States. Beyond the bilateral level, the agreements have also had a significant regional impact. Both Turkey and Iran reacted as expected.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif criticized the deal during a recent visit to Lebanon, describing it as a stab in the back for Lebanon and other Arab countries. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has threatened to sever diplomatic relations with the UAE and close his embassy on the deal. The agreements faced their biggest test to date in the spring of 2021 during the Israeli-Palestinian crisis, and although these four countries were attacked, the agreements remained in force. However, when Iran-related considerations come into play, China has reason to be nervous. Beijing wants to deepen its diplomatic, economic and military ties with Tehran, which could make the deal between Israel and the UAE more difficult and risky for the Chinese. The Trump administration`s decision to withdraw from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and exert “maximum pressure” on Iran in the form of comprehensive and harsh sanctions has had a negative impact on Beijing. The sanctions have forced the Chinese to drastically reduce their purchases of Iranian oil; and their trade relations with Tehran have been taken a closer look. .