PM addresses Israel’s standing in the Islamic world and efforts against a nuclear Iran; Netanyahu: Arab countries increasingly understand that Israel is not their enemy; Trump’s “Deal of the Century” to debut in Bahrain next week.
Prime Minister Netanyahu attended a ceremony commemorating Israel’s prime ministers and presidents in Jerusalem on Monday where he addressed Israel’s growing relations with neighboring Arab and Islamic states ahead of President Trump’s Bahrain workshop scheduled for next week.
Referring to the common threat of Iran, he stated, “Israel stands at the forefront with the United States, with moderate Arab countries, and with other countries, in opposition to the Iranian aggression.” Speaking directly on Israel’s evidence of Iran’s ongoing nuclear program, he referred to the nuclear archive retrieved by the Mossad and the recent attacks on oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. On this he warned “Should Iran make good on its current threats and violate the nuclear agreement, the international community needs to immediately impose the sanctions regime that was agreed upon in advance, the ‘snapback sanctions’. In any case, Israel will not allow Iran to achieve nuclear weapons.”
On Israel’s standing in the Arab world, he boasted, “Alongside the peace agreements with Egypt and Jordan, we are tightening, in an unprecedented manner, relations with additional countries in the Arab and Islamic world. These countries increasingly understand that Israel is not their enemy. On the contrary, Israel is a steadfast and stable ally that… seeks to ensure the future of our region.”
The Trump Administration will reveal the first phase of the “Deal of the Century” on June 25-26, 2019. The “Peace to Prosperity” workshop will center on regional cooperation and economic reform and opportunity within the framework of President Trump’s peace deal to improve the socio-economic status of the Palestinians. The workshop will be boycotted by the Palestinian Authority (PA), but Palestinian businesspeople are scheduled to attend. Media reports on Monday claimed that Israeli business representatives and delegations will participate in the event, with reports from the White House that Israeli ministers, officials, and politicians will not be invited. The delegations will include representatives in the fields of innovation, business, and high tech sectors.
Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Morocco, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates have confirmed their attendance. The United Nations reported that it will send Jamie McGoldrick, its deputy Middle East coordinator, to the workshop. The PA, Lebanon, and Iraq are boycotting the event.
Content retrieved from: https://beholdisrael.org/netanyahu-israel-tightening-relations-with-the-arab-and-islamic-world/.