Israeli parliament formally approves UAE deal

Israel's parliament on Thursday voted overwhelmingly in favor of formally ratifying the country's historic agreement normalizing diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates.

Israel and the UAE announced the US-brokered agreement in August, signing a deal in a White House ceremony last month.

Thursday's approval by the 120-seat Knesset, which passed with a 80-13 vote, was largely a formality.

The UAE became just the third Arab country to establish official ties with Israel, after Egypt and Jordan, and the first to do so in 25 years.

Bahrain is also in the process of formalizing ties with Israel, and the White House has suggested other Arab countries will follow suit.

The deals reflect a shift in the Middle East, as Arab countries' shared concerns with Israel over Iran outweigh their traditional support for the Palestinians.

The Palestinians, who have long relied on unified Arab support to boost them against Israel, condemned the deal and accused the UAE of stabbing them in the back.

The Joint List, the main Arab-dominated faction in parliament, cast the lone opposing votes Thursday in solidarity with their Palestinian brethren.