Normalisation deals made Arabs embrace Israel, says president

The normalisation agreements with the Arab countries have led to Arabs embracing Israel for a “peaceful future”, Israeli President Isaac Herzog announced yesterday.

Speaking at the 10th annual conference of the Jerusalem Post, Herzog said that the agreements had represented a “fundamental turning point in the region’s history, and a beginning to the end of the excluding-Israel policy.”

“Normalisation agreements have brought the Arab countries closer to the Jewish state, to embrace a future that includes Israel and peace,” he added.

On Monday, the Israeli defense minister, Benny Gantz, said that his country was working to expand the normalisation agreements with Arab and Gulf countries, adding that those agreements, known as the Abraham Accords, had prevented the illegal annexation of Palestinian lands in the West Bank.

OPINION: Normalisation and the betrayal of Palestine by Arab despots

Last year’s normalisation deals signed by the UAE and Bahrain, followed by Sudan and Morocco, were denounced by Palestinians who claimed the states had abandoned a unified position under which Arab countries would make peace only after a two-state solution, negotiations for which have been deadlocked for years.

Abu Dhabi said the deal was an effort to stave off Tel Aviv’s planned annexation of the occupied West Bank, however, opponents believe normalisation efforts have been in the offing for many years as Israeli officials have made official visits to the UAE and attended conferences in the country which had no diplomatic or other ties with the occupation state.

Several bilateral agreements on investment, tourism, direct flights, security, and telecommunications were signed following the peace deal.

A growing number of countries in the MENA region are normalising ties with Israel – Cartoon [Sabaaneh/MiddleEastMonitor]