Page 2 - Aruba-today-20200916

A2 UP FRONT
Wednesday 16 september 2020
as Rep. Anthony Brindisi of
New York, are freshmen in
tough reelection races. Still
others, such as Florida Reps.
Ted Deutch and Stephanie
Murphy hail from districts
with large numbers of Jew-
ish constituents.
Questions remain, howev-
er, about the significance
of the agreements. Even in
Israel, where the accords
have received widespread
acclaim, there is concern
they might result in U.S. sales
of sophisticated weaponry
to the UAE and Bahrain,
thus potentially upsetting
Israel's qualitative military
edge in the region.
Trump said he is OK with sell-
ing military aircraft to the
UAE. Pelosi also welcomed
the agreements but said
she wants to learn details,
specifically what the Trump
administration has told the
UAE about buying Amer-
ican-made F-35 aircraft
and about Israel agreeing
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed al-NahyanAbraham and Bah-
rain Foreign Minister Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa stand on the Blue Room Balcony during the Abraham Accords signing ceremony to freeze efforts to annex
on the South Lawn of the White House, Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2020, in Washington. portions of the West Bank.
Associated Press The UAE and Bahrain have
a history of suppressing
Continued from Front change for Emirati recogni- should other Arab nations, economic aid to Western dissent and critical pub-
Under the agreements, the tion. Netanyahu, however, particularly Saudi Arabia, Europe after World War II lic opinion, but there have
countries have committed has insisted that Israel has follow suit. That could have were held at the table. been indications that the
to exchange embassies only temporarily suspend- implications for Iran, Syria The stagecraft, including agreements are not nearly
and ambassadors and to ed its plans to annex West and Lebanon. Until now, live music and flags was as popular or well-received
cooperate on a broad ar- Bank settlements. Israel has had peace deals meant to evoke previous as they are in Israel. Neither
ray of issues, including edu- "Today, we are already only with Egypt and Jor- Middle East agreements. country sent its head of
cation, healthcare, trade witnessing a change in the dan. Trump's political backers state or government to sign
and security. heart of the Middle East Other Arab countries be- are looking to boost his the deals with Netanyahu.
Israeli Prime Minister Ben- — a change that will send lieved to be close to recog- standing as a statesman Bahrain's largest Shiite-
jamin Netanyahu said the hope around the world," al- nizing Israel include Oman, with just seven weeks to go dominated opposition
day "is a pivot of history. Nahyan said. Sudan and Morocco. before Election Day. Until group, Al-Wefaq, which
It heralds a new dawn of Bahrani Foreign Minister "We are very down the now, foreign policy has not the government ordered
peace." Abdullatif al-Zayani said road with about five differ- had a major role in a cam- dissolved in 2016 amid a
Neither Netanyahu nor Bahrain would stand with ent countries," Trump told paign dominated by the yearslong crackdown on
Trump mentioned the Pal- the Palestinians. "Today is a reporters before the cer- coronavirus, racial issues dissent, said there is wide-
estinians in their remarks, truly historic occasion," he emony. and the economy. spread rejection of normal-
but both the UAE and Bah- said. "A moment for hope Skeptics, including many Besides Republicans, a few ization. Al-Wefaq joins oth-
raini foreign ministers spoke and opportunity." longtime Mideast analysts House Democrats attend- er Bahrainis who reject the
of the importance of creat- But in the Gaza Strip, Pal- and former officials, have ed the event, a notable agreement to normalize
ing a Palestinian state. estinian militants fired two expressed doubts about development at a time ties with the "Zionist entity,"
Emirati Foreign Minister rockets into Israel, appar- the impact of the signings. when their leader, House and criticized the govern-
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed ently meant to coincide In addition to the bilateral Speaker Nancy Pelosi is ment for crushing the pub-
Al Nahyan, the brother with the ceremony. The Is- agreements signed by Isra- barely on speaking terms lic's ability to express their
of Abu Dhabi's power- raeli military said the rock- el, the UAE and Bahrain, all with the president. Many discontentment with nor-
ful crown prince, even ets were fired from Gaza three signed a document Democrats, including presi- malization. The ceremony
thanked Netanyahu for and one was intercepted dubbed the "Abraham Ac- dential nominee Joe Biden, followed months of intri-
"halting the annexation" of by air defenses. Earlier in cords" after the patriarch widely support the deal. cate diplomacy headed
West Bank land claimed the day, Palestinian activ- of the world's three major Rep. Elaine Luria, D-Va., said by Jared Kushner, Trump's
by the Palestinians in ex- ists held small demonstra- monotheistic religions. she accepted the invita- son-in-law and senior advis-
tions in the West Bank and During the signing ceremo- tion immediately on receiv- er, and the president's en-
in Gaza, where they tram- ny, the leaders were seated ing it over the weekend. voy for international nego-
pled and set fire to pictures at a long table where Presi- "It definitely was a monu- tiations, Avi Berkowitz. On
of Trump, Netanyahu and dent Harry S. Truman once mental event, and the cer- Aug. 13, the Israel-UAE deal
the leaders of the UAE and held weekly luncheon emony was very fitting for was announced. That was
Bahrain. meetings with his Cabinet. that," Luria, a member of followed by the first direct
There are no active wars Discussions about the Tru- the House Armed Services commercial flight between
to be ended by the agree- man Doctrine to restrain Committee, said in a tele- the countries, and then
ments, but Israel and the Soviet expansion during phone interview afterward. the Sept. 11 announce-

U.S. hope they could usher the Cold War and the Mar- Like Luria, some other Dem- ment of the Bahrain-Israel
in a major shift in the region shall Plan to send billions in ocrats in attendance, such agreement.q