UAE and Israel restored their relationship | Textpound

  UAE and Israel Restored Their Relationship

UAE And Israel Restored Their Relationship

Israel and the United Arab Emirates on Thursday forged a formal diplomatic relationship, after Israel agreed to suspend a plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank in a dramatic U.S.-backed shift that signaled Israel’s warming ties with Gulf Arab states.

Israel has ties with Egypt and Jordan, but the U.A.E. is the first Gulf Arab state to announce formal relations with Israel. The Gulf Arab states have historically held off doing so amid Israel’s long-running conflict with the Palestinians. In recent years, shared enmity with Iran has brought Israel and several Gulf States closer together.

The diplomatic breakthrough came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to suspend his drive to annex parts of the occupied West Bank. That campaign had drawn criticism from Arab states and Europe. They say any move to unilaterally claim areas Palestinians claim for a future state would permanently dash hopes for the creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel.

“The historic diplomatic breakthrough will advance peace in the Middle East region,” said a joint statement from Israel, the U.S. and the U.A.E that praised “the courage of the United Arab Emirates and Israel to chart a new path that will unlock the great potential in the region.”