Arab-Israeli summit concludes its work – A new beginning is emerging

The Arab-Israeli summit held in the Israeli Negev desert concluded on Monday with four Arab foreign ministers and the US Secretary of State.

According to the British newspaper, The Independent, the summit concluded after six meetings between the foreign ministers of Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Bahrain, Morocco and the United States.

The foreign ministers participating in the summit said it was only the beginning of broader cooperation and a permanent forum that brings together the six participating countries to discuss the most prominent issues in the region and ways to settle disputes.

New Beginning

American network CNN highlighted the summit, saying: At the end of the two-day summit in the Negev desert on Monday, the foreign ministers of the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco, Egypt, Israel and the US issued welcoming statements.

The UAE, Bahrain and Morocco normalized relations with Israel less than two years ago under the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords. Egypt was the first Arab country to make peace with the Jewish state in 1979.

During a joint press meeting between the six top diplomats, Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid described the summit as a “new structure” formed by Iran’s regional enemies.

Lapid said: “This new structure – the joint capabilities we build – terrorizes and deters our common enemies, first and foremost Iran and its proxies”.

Summit conclusion

The network confirmed that during the summit, Israel and the Arab countries expressed concern about a possible nuclear agreement with Iran, which would enhance its ability to build a nuclear weapon, and empower Tehran-backed militants throughout the region.

The United States and its Western allies are defending the restoration of the 2015 agreement – which aims to curb Iran’s nuclear ambitions in exchange for sanctions relief – as the best way to enhance regional and global security.

But US Secretary of State Antony Blinken offered Washington’s regional allies assurances at the Negev summit. As neighbors, and in the case of the United States as friends, we will also work together to address common security challenges and threats, including from Iran and its proxies.

Palestinian Cause

According to the US network, US and Arab officials at the summit say they want a two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians.

Negotiations on this issue stalled in 2014, while Israeli settlements – seen as illegal by most of the international community – expanded.

Meanwhile, Gaza, another Palestinian territory, is ruled by radical Islamists who have no formal ties with Israel or much of the Western world.