Government, Knesset to ratify UAE peace deal

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu will bring the peace agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, for approval by the government this coming Monday, ahead of bringing it to the Knesset for approval.

The cabinet ministers, who will convene through a video conference, will be asked to approve the agreement signed on September 15 on the White House lawn.

As part of the ‘Abraham Accords’ signed by the US President, Prime Minister Netanyahu and the Foreign Ministers of the UAE and Bahrain, “the leaders are committed to the historic peace process and recognize the importance of maintaining and strengthening peace in the Middle East and around the world.”

The leaders have stated that they are putting an end to the rivalry between the peoples and embarking on a new path. “We want to put an end to extremism and conflict, in order to provide all children in the world with a better future. We strive for a vision of peace, security and prosperity in the Middle East and around the world,” the agreement said.

The agreement with the Emirates includes many clauses dealing with cooperation between the nations in many areas – including the establishment of embassies and the creation of significant tourism – but there are no details on how this will be accomplished or a timetable for carrying it out.

The Palestinian Authority is mentioned in the agreement, but is relatively marginally in the document and there are explicit commitments to the PA. “The two states are committed to working together to achieve a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through negotiations that will meet the legitimate aspirations and needs of the two peoples,” the agreement said.

The peace agreement with Bahrain will not be brought to the government for approval at the same time as the agreement with the UAE.