US, Israel defence officials discuss military ties, Middle East in Pentagon meeting

The United States Secretary of Defence Mark Esper met with Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz at the Pentagon to discuss the military ties on Wednesday, September 23. During the talks, Esper is reported to have said that the United States and Israel shared a deep and unshakable bond of friendship, adding that the talks were meant to build on that very relationship.

Israel's Military edge the conerstone of US-Israel Relations: Esper

During the talks, Esper stated that the US-Israel relationship had never been stronger and said the two nations aim to keep them that way. He also added that the cornerstone of the US and Israel’s defence relationship is preserving Israel’s military edge in the Middle East and said the Department of Defense was still committed to that.

In reply, Benny Gantz prided that Israel is one of the most stable countries in the Middle East despite the regional chaos. He added that Israel was committed to maintaining a good relationship with the US and that it was in the country’s best interest to continue to share all relevant information with the US officials.

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Abraham Accords

Earlier on September 15, US President Donald Trump oversaw the signing of the historic peace agreement between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and the Kingdom of Bahrain. The peace agreement, known as the Abraham Accords, states that the two Arab counties will henceforth normalise diplomatic relations with Israel and thus will be able to exchange ambassadors, establish embassies and enter into trade deals.

After signing, Trump urged other Middle Eastern countries to follow the UAE’s lead and enter into peace agreements with Israel. He added, “Now that the ice has been broken, I expect more Arab and Muslim countries will follow the United Arab Emirates' lead. And I want to just thank them-- it's not surprising, knowing Mohammed so well. It's not surprising. They are in that lead position. And normalise relations with Israel”.

(With AP Inputs)

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