WhatsappYesterday’s announcement (which was more like an earthquake) that Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have now reached a historic peace deal is set to shift the region in a completely new direction.
Dubbed the Abraham Accords, the deal is set to be signed by the UAE and Israel in the coming weeks. It is also clear that at least Bahrain, Oman, and Sudan are set to announcement peace agreements with Israel as well.
While these peace deals are welcomed, it has come at a cost. The UAE through the US has forced Israel to freeze sovereignty in order to allow the Abraham Accord to become finalized.
Does this mean that sovereignty is off the table? According to Netanyahu – not at all.
Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said: “Just as I brought peace with an Arab state, so too will I apply sovereignty.”
“I’m committed to sovereignty. I’m committed to the Land of Israel, and I will never surrender our rights to this land. President Trump and his team requested a temporary – and I repeat, temporary – delay so that the peace process can move forward, and I agreed,” said Prime Minister Netanyahu.
President Trump also commented on the suspension of sovereignty:
“It’s something they’ve discussed, but Israel has agreed not to do that,” he explained. “I mean, more than just off the table, they have agreed not to do it. And I think that was very important, and I think it was a great concession by Israel, and I think it was a very smart concession by Israel.”
While these peace agreements are important, Netanyahu may actually need to cater to his base and find a way to move forward on sovereignty if he is going to stave off the current challenge from Naftali Bennett, which is the most serious he has had since he regained the premiership in 2009.
