Trump Declares ‘Historic Day for Peace’ as Middle East Deals Are Signed

Jack Phillips
By Jack Phillips
September 15, 2020International
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Trump Declares ‘Historic Day for Peace’ as Middle East Deals Are Signed
(L-R) Foreign Affairs Minister of Bahrain Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu, U.S. President Donald Trump, and Foreign Affairs Minister of the United Arab Emirates Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan participate in the signing ceremony of the Abraham Accords on the South Lawn of the White House, on Sept. 15, 2020. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

President Donald Trump on Tuesday declared a “historic day for peace” as two historic Middle East peace deals were signed between several Gulf states and Israel.

Trump said that the move will “change the course of history” and will bring about a “new Middle East,” adding that it will create an era of “peace and prosperity.” He noted that the White House achieved two peace agreements in a single month.

“It’s an important day for peace,” Trump added.

President Donald Trump
President Donald Trump speaks from the Truman Balcony at the White House during the signing ceremony of the Abraham Accords where the countries of Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates recognize Israel, on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, on Sept. 15, 2020. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed deals with the Kingdom of Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) after the three nations agreed on the measure to normalize relations.

“HISTORIC day for PEACE in the Middle East,” Trump wrote during the ceremony on South Lawn at the White House. “I am welcoming leaders from Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and the Kingdom of Bahrain to the White House to sign landmark deals that no one thought was possible.”

Netanyahu on Tuesday said it “heralds a new dawn of peace” between Jewish people and others, saying Trump has brought about a “realistic” chance of peace between Israel and the Palestinians. “This was unimaginable a few years ago,” the prime minister added.

The move represents another diplomatic victory for Trump, who has cast himself a peacemaker and has sought to end U.S. involvement in foreign wars—coming two months before the November election.

Trump and Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa
President Donald Trump greets the Bahrain Foreign Minister Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa at the White House in Washington, on Sept. 15, 2020. (Alex Brandon/AP Photo)

Critics have noted that the peace deals ignore Palestinians, but it is hoped that the deals will bring forth better Arab-Israeli relations.

Meanwhile, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who hailed the deal, said that she has concerns about a commitment for the UAE to purchase F-35 fighter jets.

“As we learn more about the full details of both agreements, questions remain—specifically, regarding the commitment that the UAE has received from the Trump Administration to purchase American-made F-35 aircraft. The U.S. Congress, on a bipartisan basis, will be watching and monitoring to ensure that Israel can maintain its qualitative military edge in the region,” she said in a news conference.

The deal will normalize commercial, security, and diplomatic relations between Israel and Bahrain, as well as the UAE and Israel. The other Arab countries to have normalized relations with Israel are Egypt and Jordan.

“This is very fast,” White House adviser Jared Kushner told The Associated Press last week. “The region is responding very favorably to the UAE deal and hopefully it’s a sign that even more will come.”

The agreement deals a major setback to Palestinian leader and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who criticized the Israel-UAE deal when it was signed last month.

Abbas said last month, “We aren’t worried about the nonsense that happens here and there and especially in recent days, when a trilateral agreement between the Emirates, Israel, and America was announced.”

“They (the UAE) have turned their backs on everything: the rights of the Palestinian people, the Palestinian state, the two-state solution, and the holy city of Jerusalem,” Abbas also remarked.

From The Epoch Times

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