Bennett: Abraham Accords Ushered in New Chapter in History of Middle East Peace

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett commented Friday on the first anniversary of the Abraham Accords, saying that “the State of Israel welcomes the strategic accords signed with the UAE and Bahrain.

“These are unprecedented agreements that constitute a new chapter in the history of peace in the Middle East.”

He added that “relations between the countries are only in their infancy and have already proved fruitful. The Israeli government under my leadership will work to continue implementing the agreements and strive for a stable, secure and prosperous Middle East for the future of our children.

“I would like to thank the leadership of the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain for the courage that enabled the establishment of diplomatic relations, and to the American administration that led, tirelessly supported and mediated these accords,” he said.

Foreign Minister Yair Lapid also marked the first anniversary of the Abraham Accords and expressed hope that more nations will join it soon.

Lapid held a video conference call on Friday with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Burita, Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the UAE president, and Bahraini Ambassador to the U.S. Abdullah Bin Rashed Bin Abdullah Al Khalifa.

“The Abraham Accords are open to new members. One of our common goals is to ensure that more nations join us in these agreements soon, for a new era of cooperation and friendship,” Lapid said.

Blinken noted that the United States would help strengthen Israel’s relations with Bahrain, Morocco and the United Arab Emirates, as well as with Sudan and Kosovo. He encouraged other countries to normalize their relations with Israel.

Gargash said that breaking the “psychological barrier was the hard part” in forging the accords, adding that once passed that, “we could move forward to realize new opportunities.”

He further said that the accords are welcomed by the younger generation in the UAE as a positive narrative.