Israel and the UAE reach historic deal which will normalise relations between the countries. UAE will be the third Arab country, after Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994, opening formal diplomatic ties with Israel. Next could be Saudi Arabia.
As part of the deal, Israel will suspend plans to annex the Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank. Israel and the Gulf Arab kingdoms had stepped up informal contacts in recent years, mainly driven by shared concerns on Iran. The deal is historic.
This is the only diplomatic victory of President Trump as he goes to polls in Nov. His Iran policy was disastrous. His North Korea outreach reached nowhere. But here, at least he can claim the first peace deal between Israel and a Gulf Arab country was clinched under his watch.
The Arabs have come a long way since the 1967 Khartoum conference in which they vowed the famous three NOs--no peace, no talks and no recognition of Israel. Now, when Israel is ruled by its most belligerent Zionist PM, UAE is opening formal ties. Sands are shifting in the ME.
