More Arab nations are on a path to normalising ties with Israel, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dr Anwar Gargash said on Thursday, a week after the UAE agreed to a peace accord with Israel.
Dr Gargash said a normalised relationship with Israel under the Abraham Accord would be warm, compared with the two other Arab nations that have ties with the country.
“Unlike Jordan and unlike Egypt we have not fought a war with Israel,” he said.
US President Donald Trump announced the peace accord between the UAE and Israel on August 13.
“The decision to normalise ties with Israel was coming sooner or later,” Dr Gargash told an Atlantic Council session by video link.
When asked about Palestinian opposition to the accord, he said the UAE was committed to a two-state solution.
Dr Gargash said the UAE had not discussed the accord with any friends before it was agreed to, including the Palestinians.
He referred to the accord as a risk but said other risky endeavours to drive the UAE forward, such as the Pope’s visit in 2019, had paid off.
"This is a bold and courageous step that Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed took," Dr Gargash said.
"He understands the strategic landscape but this is one of the strategic decisions that have to be made and they will open up the region further."
Dr Gargash said the UAE saw an opportunity because it has always been urged by Palestinians and other Arab countries to assist in halting the annexation.
“By linking to the agreement to the suspension of annexation, we came up with a good deal,” he said.
The UAE would benefit from the "technological prowess of Israelis in certain areas, and they will benefit from the dynamic nature of the UAE economy", Dr Gargash said.
He said the accord with Israel did not represent a departure from support for the Palestinian cause or a two-state solution with East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state.
Dr Gargash said the UAE had wanted to reaffirm its global position in terms of business, finance and logistics.
“We can’t do this while we maintain an exclusive view of the world,” he said.
"This is one of the bold and strategic decisions that we made. It will open up the region further.
"We are very touched by the universal support for the decision from some capitals.”
Dr Gargash said that any UAE embassy in Israel would be in Tel Aviv, not Jerusalem.
Mr Trump shifted the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in 2018 in a move that was opposed by many Arab states.
Dr Gargash said the deal with Israel showed a firm commitment by the Israeli government to suspend annexation, giving space for the two-state solution to emerge.
"If you look at the Arab Peace Initiative, it is about a two-state solution," he said.
Dr Gargash said the peace accord with Israel should remove any hurdle to the US selling F-35 fighter jets to the UAE.
“We have legitimate requests that are there," he said. "We ought to get them. The whole idea of a state of belligerency or war with Israel no longer exists."
Washington has sold the F-35 to allies but sales to the Gulf require a deeper review because of US policy for Israel to maintain a military advantage in the Middle East.
Dr Gargash also spoke about engaging with Iran to resolve outstanding issues.
“Iran is a neighbour and it is important for us to say that we have serious issues with Iran and we want to resolve these through negotiations,” he said.
“Our objective is to have a much better relationship with Iran in the future.”
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
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T20 World Cup Qualifier
Final: Netherlands beat PNG by seven wickets
Qualified teams
1. Netherlands
2. PNG
3. Ireland
4. Namibia
5. Scotland
6. Oman
T20 World Cup 2020, Australia
Group A: Sri Lanka, PNG, Ireland, Oman
Group B: Bangladesh, Netherlands, Namibia, Scotland
If you go
The flights
There are various ways of getting to the southern Serengeti in Tanzania from the UAE. The exact route and airstrip depends on your overall trip itinerary and which camp you’re staying at.
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Kilimanjaro International Airport from Dh1,350 return, including taxes; this can be followed by a short flight from Kilimanjaro to the Serengeti with Coastal Aviation from about US$700 (Dh2,500) return, including taxes. Kenya Airways, Emirates and Etihad offer flights via Nairobi or Dar es Salaam.
As it stands in Pool A
1. Japan - Played 3, Won 3, Points 14
2. Ireland - Played 3, Won 2, Lost 1, Points 11
3. Scotland - Played 2, Won 1, Lost 1, Points 5
Remaining fixtures
Scotland v Russia – Wednesday, 11.15am
Ireland v Samoa – Saturday, 2.45pm
Japan v Scotland – Sunday, 2.45pm
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Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
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The five pillars of Islam
Red flags
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Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
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Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Playing records of the top 10 in 2017
How many games the top 10 have undertaken in the 2017 ATP season
1. Rafael Nadal 58 (49-9)
2. Andy Murray 35 (25-10)
3. Roger Federer 38 (35-3)
4. Stan Wawrinka 37 (26-11)
5. Novak Djokovic 40 (32-8)
6. Alexander Zverev 60 (46-14)
7. Marin Cilic 43 (29-14)
8. Dominic Thiem 60 (41-19)
9. Grigor Dimitrov 48 (34-14)
10. Kei Nishikori 43 (30-13)
The biog
Full name: Aisha Abdulqader Saeed
Age: 34
Emirate: Dubai
Favourite quote: "No one has ever become poor by giving"
