Published 11:01 IST, August 31st 2020
Trump adviser says more Arab, Muslim nations likely to normalise ties with Israel
Trump's NSA Robert O’Brien said on August 30 that more Arab and Islamic countries are likely to follow the UAE in normalising relations with Israel.
- World News
- 2 min read
US National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien said on August 30 that more Arab and Islamic countries are likely to follow the United Arab Emirates in normalising relations with Israel. O’Brien was in Israel along with US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a day before heading to Abu Dhabi for formally finalising UAE-Israel ties.
“We believe that other Arab and Muslim countries will soon follow the United Arab Emirates’ lead and normalise relations with Israel,” O’Brien told reporters.
While the security adviser didn’t name the Arab and Muslim countries he was referring, Israeli officials have reportedly claimed that Oman and Bahrain will be heading towards in the direction. Last week, US State Secretary Mike Pompeo met Bahranian Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa who welcomed the initiative taken by the United States to reach an agreement between the UAE and Israel which halted annexation of West Bank.
O’Brien and Kushner will join an Israeli delegation on August 31 in the first flight of Israeli commercial airline to UAE to hold talks in Abu Dhabi. Kushner said that the normalisation of ties was a “giant step forward” towards regional peace. Invoking his Jewish roots, Trump’s senior adviser said that it means more to him and to his family that he can ever express.
On August 24, Pompeo told a press briefing in Jerusalem that the deal was brokered by US President Donald Trump with Netanyahu’s assistance. He opined that the deal has been a boon to peace and regional stability as it heralds a new era. The top US diplomat added that Israel and UAE are two of the most advanced economies in the world brimming with innovation.
“It’s a natural fit. And the support of the United States makes this, I think, something with international ramifications,” he said.
Opposition to the deal
However, the deal has been opposed by several Islamic countries in the Middle East, including Turkey and Iran. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the move against Palestine is difficult to stomach and he has informed the foreign minister that the government may pull back its ambassador from Abu Dhabi. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that the United Arab Emirates made a “huge mistake” by reaching an agreement with Israel to normalise their relationship.
(Image: AP)
Updated 11:01 IST, August 31st 2020