More Arab and Muslim states likely to normalize relations with Israel, says top US official
U.S. National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien said on Sunday that more Arab and Muslim states were likely to normalize relations with Israel following the deal with the United Arab Emirates.
O’Brien and Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem before flying to Abu Dhabi on Monday for talks to advance the normalization agreement.
U.S. National Security Advisor Robert C. O’Brien, April 2, 2019. Credit: Michael Gross/U.S. State Department.
“We believe that other Arab and Muslim countries will soon follow the United Arab Emirates’ lead and normalize relations with Israel,” said O’Brien. “Israel and the UAE are putting the region on a truly transformative path, one with stability, security and opportunity,” he added.
The White House official did not name any specific country, but Israeli officials have discussed the possibility of a breakthrough with Oman, Bahrain and Sudan.
Hanan Ashrawi, a member of the Palestine Liberation Organization’s executive committee, said the Israeli-UAE peace effort was a stunt designed to get Arab leaders to attend a White House signing event to help U.S. President Donald Trump ahead of the Nov. 3 election.
“It must be quite demeaning for Arab leaders to be asked to join a meaningless WH [White House] spectacle to serve as a backdrop/prop to help a white supremacist Islamophobe win elections,” tweeted Ashrawi on Sunday.
JNS
