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Featured —
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.”
