Israel’s Cabinet ratifies Abraham Accords

Rina Bassist

Oct 12, 2020

US President Donald Trump (R) with UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan (L), Bahrain Foreign Minister Abdullatif al-Zayani (2-L) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (C) pose for pictures in the colonnade at the White House before the signing of the Abraham Accords where the countries of Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates recognize Israel, in Washington, DC, September 15, 2020. - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the foreign ministers of Bahrain and the United Arab Emirat — US President Donald Trump (R) with UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan (L), Bahrain Foreign Minister Abdullatif Al Zayani (2-L) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (C) pose for pictures in the colonnade at the White House before the signing of the Abraham Accords, Washington, Sept. 15, 2020. — SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images

Israel’s Cabinet approved Oct. 12 the normalization deal with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) , signed at the White House last month under the auspice of President Donald Trump.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged on that occasion to submit the Abraham Accords for government and Knesset approval. The Cabinet ratified Oct. 12 the agreement unanimously. The Knesset plenum is expected to ratify the deal Oct. 15.

Speaking at the beginning of the Cabinet meeting, Netanyahu said, "Today I am submitting the historic peace agreement with the UAE to the Cabinet. This is the first peace agreement that Israel has signed in over 25 years. We are also completing the agreements with Bahrain, meaning that we will be making peace with two Arab states at the same time."

Addressing his right-wing allies, Netanyahu emphasized that unlike agreements signed with the PLO, with Egypt and with Jordan, in the agreement with the Emirates "Israel is not conceding any territory whatsoever. … This agreement is an agreement that is based on peace from strength, not peace from concessions that will weaken Israel and endanger it, but peace from Israel’s strength."

Israel’s Cabinet ratifies Abraham Accords

Shortly before the Cabinet approved the normalization agreement with the United Arab Emirates, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan spoke over the phone and agreed to meet "soon."

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