Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain leaders signed an historic normalization agreement

The historic signing ceremony for the normalization agreements between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain ended on the southern lawn of the White House in Washington. The ceremony will be attended by hundreds of guests, and in the presence of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US President Donald Trump, UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah Ben-Zayed, and his Bahrain counterpart Abdel-Latif al-Ziani.
At the head of the speeches was President Trump. He referred to past relations between Israel and Arab countries in the Middle East, and welcomed the agreement. "In the history of Israel, there have been only two peace agreements, and now we have reached two in two months, and there will be more," he said. "Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain will establish embassies, replace ambassadors and begin cooperation. The peace agreement will open the door for Muslims around the world to visit holy sites in Israel, and visit al-Aqsa. Together these agreements will be the basis for comprehensive peace in the region, which no one thought possible. Now it is done with mutual respect and partnership, "he said.
After the President of the United States, Prime Minister Netanyahu spoke. Netanyahu thanked the president in his opening remarks and said that the agreements we would sign could put an end to the Israeli-Arab conflict. "This day is a record in history. It heralds a new era of peace after decades of Israel praying for peace. I thank Trump for your leadership that has undoubtedly sided with Israel, fighting the dictatorship of Iran and mediating between Israel and the Palestinians, and peace agreements leading to a new era worldwide. .
The third speaker was Emirates Foreign Minister Ben-Zayed. He praised Netanyahu for the move at the beginning of his remarks and said: Thank you Netanyahu for choosing peace and stopping the annexation of the Palestinian lands. "I stand today, reaching out for peace and getting a hand for peace. Pursuing peace is a value, but things must be accompanied by action. Today we are witnessing a move that can change the Middle East and the world," he said, declaring: "The positive consequences will not stop."
Before the ceremony, Trump greeted the leaders and held a press conference with each of them. In a statement issued alongside Netanyahu before the ceremony, the president said that "there are another 5-6 countries that I think will also sign normalization agreements later." Trump stressed that the Palestinians will also join these agreements at the appropriate time. The President of the United States addressed the issue of the Vapor Aircraft Transaction underlying the agreement and said, "We will resolve the F35 issue. We have a very good relationship with the UAE."
Trump spoke on the issue of Iran and its place in relation to the agreement and said that I would make a great deal with Iran. They will be very rich, very fast. "I think Israel is not isolated, and now most of the countries in the Middle East may be interested in signing, and I believe even Iran," Trump said. The president linked Tehran's situation in the wake of sanctions imposed by the United States on the country's presidential election. "Iran wants to make a deal, they now have a problem of a slump in the economy due to the sanctions and I told them we need to see what happens with the election. There is nothing that they, or Russia, or China, will want more than Joe Biden will win."
Trump stressed that the most important thing Israel receives from the agreement is peace. In response, Prime Minister Netanyahu said that "we are addressing the whole world, we have a strong economy and strong ties with President Trump and the Middle East, countries are waiting to enter into peace agreements. Israel is not isolated at all. It has reached diplomatic achievements because of the pressure exerted by the president."
Following the meeting with Netanyahu, Trump made a similar statement with UAE Foreign Minister Ben-Zayed. Our region has suffered for a long time and we want to show the world and our people that there is good news from this side of the world. We feel very honored to represent a nation that is only 48 years old but full of hope. "
Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner, who visited Abu Dhabi with the Israeli delegation about two weeks ago, will also attend the signing ceremony.
A White House official told reporters ahead of the signing ceremony that the White House would encourage all participants in the ceremony to wear masks but would not oblige them to do so. "Israelis and emirates go with masks," said the White House official. "The ceremony will be on an open lawn and we will maintain as much social distance as possible."
The document Netanyahu signed with Bahrain's foreign minister will be a general "peace declaration" that will only open negotiations on an agreement between the parties. In the case of the Emirates it is a "peace treaty" that will be much more binding. However, the agreement with the UAE is expected to be general, and not include controversial elements such as reference to annexation, a two-state solution or arms deals.
Ahead of the ceremony, Emiratim Minister Gregash said that the agreement between the United Arab Emirates and Israel would include reference to the two-state solution as part of a reference to previous agreements signed. In a briefing to reporters, the minister said that the agreement would include the Palestinian issue and would emphasize basic positions. It will also address additional bilateral agreements to be signed between Israel and the United Arab Emirates