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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Donald Trump, and UAE Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Trump Brokers Historic Israel-UAE Peace Agreement
Today, President Donald Trump announced an historic peace agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates. RJC National Chairman Senator Norm Coleman said:
President Trump has brokered a game-changing agreement for the Middle East. This is the first time since the Israel-Jordan peace treaty, 25 years ago, that leaders of Israel and an Arab state have agreed to establish full diplomatic ties.
President Trump’s vision and determination have once again brought about positive, constructive change in the region. Like his decisions to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and to move our embassy there, this agreement is something no other President has been able to achieve.
Read the joint statement from the US, Israel and the UAE here.
The Algemeiner reports:
The deal was the product of lengthy discussions between Israel, the UAE and the United States that accelerated recently, White House officials said.
The agreement was sealed in a phone call on Thursday between Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed.
…In the White House Oval Office, Trump said discussions between the two leaders had sometimes been tense. He said similar deals are being discussed with other countries in the region. A signing ceremony including delegations from Israel and the United Arab Emirates will be held at the White House in the coming weeks, Trump added.
“Everybody said this would be impossible,” Trump said. “After 49 years, Israel and the United Arab Emirates will fully normalize their diplomatic relations. They exchange embassies and ambassadors and begin cooperation across the border.”
The US officials described the agreement, to be known as the Abraham Accords, as the first of its kind since Israel and Jordan signed a peace treaty in 1994.
The RJC held a press conference this afternoon to discuss the historic announcement from President Trump on the Israel-UAE peace deal, and the re-election of the President. RJC Board of Directors members Jason Greenblatt (former Special Representative for International Negotiations for President Donald J. Trump) and Ari Fleischer (former George W. Bush White House Press Secretary), RJC National Chairman Senator Norm Coleman, and RJC Executive Director Matt Brooks spoke and took questions from the media.
Senator Coleman called President Trump’s success in brokering the Israel-UAE accord, “Nobel Prize-worthy stuff." He said, "Barack Obama got a Nobel Prize for making a speech. Trump brought Israel and the UAE together to change the tone of the Middle East… The choice is clearer today than ever before. President Trump is the best friend Israel has ever had in the White House. Today we see the fruit of his efforts, of his having the trust of Israel and our Gulf allies.”
Ari Fleischer commented on the pattern of Jewish voting for Republican presidential candidates over the years and said, “When I look at what Trump has achieved and the problems that Biden represents, there is room to grow [for Republicans]. 'Inroads' is the name of the game. As George W. Bush proved in Florida… swing states can be won by Republicans when they make inroads in the Jewish vote.”
Matt Brooks elaborated on this point: “You will hear Democrats talking about having a stranglehold on the Jewish vote, that they will keep a majority of the Jewish vote. That’s true – but inroads are being made. We have examples and case studies, such as the Florida governor’s race in 2018, when Ron DeSantis won a historic high of 35% of the Jewish vote. He won the governor’s race by 30,000 votes, and he’ll tell you that the significant increase in the Jewish vote was key to his victory.”
Brooks also discussed the RJC’s 2020 outreach project: “We have put significant time and resources into building the most comprehensive Jewish voter file ever… Our grassroots team, field staff and volunteers, have made more than 250,000 voter ID calls… We will get our message to the right audience with massive TV and digital ads, and direct mail. Ten million dollars is our total 2020 independent expenditure budget, and 90% of that will go to Trump’s reelection. There are 2-3 states with House and Senate races where we will make significant expenditures as well… Our top priority is maximizing the Jewish vote for President Trump.”
Jason Greenblatt pointed out the key takeaways from today’s news of the Israel-UAE agreement: "This accord shows that the world has changed, the Middle East has changed. People are willing to work with Israel, not only on security… There is an Arab-Israeli conflict and an Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and they don’t have to solved together. Unfortunately, Ramallah [seat of the Palestinian Authority] is failing to recognize how they can benefit here.”
Matt Brooks concluded by saying: “As we head into the elections, we are encouraged by the opportunities, the room to grow, and the inroads we are making. Joe Biden has had 40-plus years in public service – and has been wrong for too long. President Trump has a different way, a way that gets results. We have a successful message to bring to the Jewish community.”
Senator Coleman agreed: “Israel is more secure, America is more secure; we’re optimistic.”
