U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin shakes hands with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who urged him to crank up pressure on Iran at a press conference in Jerusalem  —  (photo credit: AMIT SHABI/YEDIOTH ACHRONOTH/POOL)

American and Israeli officials on Monday reaffirmed their commitments to economic policy coordination and cooperation in a virtual event marking the 35th meeting of the US–Israel Joint Economic Development Group (JEDG.)

The post US, Israeli officials agree to expand bilateral economic relations first appeared on Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association.

U.S. President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shake hands after delivering press statements before an official dinner in Jerusalem on May 22, 2017. Credit: MANDEL NGAN/AFP

Israel and the United Arab Emirates reached a historic peace deal on Thursday that will lead to a full normalization of diplomatic relations between the two Middle Eastern nations in an agreement that U.S. President Donald Trump helped broker.

Under the agreement, Israel has agreed to suspend applying sovereignty to areas of the West Bank that it has been discussing annexing, a joint statement by all three parties to the agreement said.

Trump, in a tweet, called the agreement a “HUGE breakthrough,” describing it as a “historic peace agreement between our two GREAT friends.”

Benjamin Netanyahu@netanyahu

Donald J. Trump@realDonaldTrump

HUGE breakthrough today! Historic Peace Agreement between our two GREAT friends, Israel and the United Arab Emirates!

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The joint statement said the three leaders had “agreed to the full normalization of relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates.”

“This historic diplomatic breakthrough will advance peace in the Middle East region and is a testament to the bold diplomacy and vision of the three leaders and the courage of the United Arab Emirates and Israel to chart a new path that will unlock the great potential in the region,” the statement said.

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Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump

Joint Statement of the United States, the State of Israel, and the United Arab Emirates

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The peace 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, Netanyahu, and Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed, crown prince of Abu Dhabi.

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The 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. It also gives Trump a foreign policy success as he seeks re-election on November 3.

Annexation on hold

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a televised speech Thursday night that “Today marks a new era in Israel’s relations with the Arab world” and that the two countries agreed on “a full, formal peace.”

“For years, Israel has been portrayed as an enemy…now more countries will join us in this circle of peace,” the prime minister said.

He added that annexation is “still on the table,” and that it is a promise Netanyahu said he is “committed to.”

Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at a press briefing in Jerusalem, August 13, 2020. Credit: Jonathan Zindel/Pool via Flash 90

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“Extending sovereignty will be done only alongside the United States,” Netanyahu said. “Without coordination, in the best case, will do nothing, and in the worst case, will harm relations between us. The United States asked that Israel temporarily postpone annexation.”

The joint statement by the three leaders said that as “a result of this diplomatic breakthrough and at the request of President Trump with the support of the United Arab Emirates, Israel will suspend declaring sovereignty” over areas of the West Bank that were envisioned in the U.S. Middle East plan unveiled by Trump in January.

“Israel for the foreseeable future will be focused on building this relationship and pursuing all the advantages that can come from having this new relationship with this country, and we also breaks the ice for doing more normalizations and peace agreements with other regional players as well,” one White House official told Reuters.

A senior political source told Haaretz that annexation is still on the agenda and that Israel is committed to it. “The Trump administration asked that we temporarily postpone declaring [sovereignty over parts of the West Bank] in order to achieve the beginning of this historic peace agreement with the Emirates.”

A senior Likud official praised the agreement, saying: “The Israeli and international left always said that it is impossible to bring peace with Arab nations without peace with the Palestinian people. That there is no other way except from withdrawing from the ’67 borders, clearing out the settlements, dividing Jerusalem, and establishing a Palestinian state. This is the first time in History that Prime Minister Netanyahu broke the paradigm of ‘land for peace’ and brought ‘peace in exchange for peace.'”

Sources involved said that Netanyahu discussed the agreement with Alternate Prime Minister Benny Gantz and Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi only after the agreement was formally announced by Washington. Both Gantz and Ashkenazi deny that they were previously unaware of the agreement.

Meanwhile, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said he “rejects and denounces the surprising announcement by Israel, the United States, and the UAE,” and called it a “betrayal of Jerusalem, Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Palestinian cause.” A senior adviser to Abbas read the statement from outside the PA president’s Ramallah headquarters.

PLO Executive Committee member Dr. Hanan Ashrawi condemned the agreement and its terms on Twitter. “Israel got rewarded for not declaring openly what it’s been doing to Palestine illegally and persistently since the beginning of the occupation,” she wrote, referring to the annexation agreement. “The UAE has come out in the open on its secret dealings/normalization with Israel. Please don’t do us a favor. We are nobody’s fig leaf!”

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Hanan Ashrawi@DrHananAshrawi

Israel got rewarded for not declaring openly what it’s been doing to Palestine illegally & persistently since the beginning of the occupation. The UAE has come out in the open on its secret dealings/normalization with Israel. Please don’t do us a favor. We are nobody’s fig leaf!

Sarah Leah Whitson@sarahleah1

BREAKING: #UAE and #Israel “normalize” relations. The trade? Israel won’t formally annex and exercise sovereignty over the land it has for all intents and purposes already annexed and exercises sovereignty over… ZERO for the rights of Palestinians

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‘A win for diplomacy’

UAE Ambassador to the United States Yousef Al Otaiba released a statement calling the agreement “a win for diplomacy and for the region” and “a significant advance in Arab-Israeli relations that lowers tensions and creates new energy for positive change.”

He added that the move “immediately stops annexation and the potential for violent escalation. It maintains the viability of a two-state solution as endorsed by the Arab League and international community. It creates new dynamics and possibilities in the peace process.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on a phone call with Washington and Dubai, August 13, 2020.Credit: Kobi Gideon / GPO

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MohamedBinZayed@MohamedBinZayed

During a call with President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu, an agreement was reached to stop further Israeli annexation of Palestinian territories. The UAE and Israel also agreed to cooperate and setting a roadmap towards establishing a bilateral relationship.

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Al Otaiba’s statement concludes with a reassurance that “The UAE will remain a strong supporter of the Palestinian people – for their dignity, their rights, and their own sovereign state.  They must benefit from normalization.  We will forcefully advocate for these ends, now directly and bolstered with stronger incentives, policy options, and diplomatic tools.”

Next steps

White House officials said Trump senior adviser Jared Kushner, U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, and Middle East envoy Avi Berkowitz were deeply involved in negotiating the deal, as well as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and White House national security adviser Robert O’Brien.

Pompeo congratulated Israel and the UAE in both Arabic and Hebrew in a tweet, calling the agreement “a significant step forward for peace in the Middle East.”

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Secretary Pompeo@SecPompeo

US government account

Today is an historic day. After vigorous diplomatic outreach by President @realDonaldTrump, Israeli Prime Minister @netanyahu and Emirati Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Zayed have signed an agreement to fully normalize relations between their two great nations.

Secretary Pompeo@SecPompeo

US government account

The United States congratulates Israel and the Emirates for this remarkable achievement, which is a significant step forward for peace in the Middle East. Blessed are the peacemakers. Mabruk and Mazal Tov.

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In a statement, the U.S. secretary of state called the agreement “a remarkable achievement for two of the world’s most forward-leaning, technologically advanced states, and reflects their shared regional vision of an economically integrated region. It also illustrates their commitment to confronting common threats, as small – but strong – nations.

The United States hopes that this brave step will be the first in a series of agreements that end 72 years of hostilities in the region. Although the peace treaties between Israel and Egypt and Jordan have not yet fulfilled their full potential, since the 1978 Camp David Accords and the 1994 Wadi Arava Agreement, we have witnessed significant economic development in Egypt and Jordan, an unmistakable dividend of peace.”

Delegations from Israel and the United Arab Emirates will meet in the coming weeks to sign bilateral agreements regarding investment, tourism, direct flights, security, telecommunications, and other issues, the statement said.

The two countries are expected soon to exchange ambassadors and embassies.

The agreement envisions giving Muslims greater access to the Al-Aqsa Mosque in the Old City of Jerusalem by allowing them to fly from Abu Dhabi to Tel Aviv, White House officials said.

The joint statement said the United Arab Emirates and Israel will immediately expand and accelerate cooperation regarding the treatment of and the development of a vaccine for the novel coronavirus amid the pandemic.

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The Associated Press contributed to this report

Source: https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/with-trump-s-help-israel-and-the-uae-reach-historic-deal-to-normalize-relations-1.9070687

The post Israel Suspends West Bank Annexation in Deal to Normalize Relations With the UAE first appeared on Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association.

Although July 4, is tomorrow, the US Embassy in Israel pre-emptively celebrated America’s 243rd Independence Day on Tuesday. The gala event was hosted by the US Embassy in Jerusalem. During his speech, the Ambassador, David Friedman, said: “leshanah Hazeh BiYerushalayim” (This year in Jerusalem).

At first glance, saying a phrase like ‘this year in Jerusalem’ may seem like a rather insignificant statement. But those who understand the wider context of the phrase are prone to interpret those words differently. That’s because there is a phrase that Jews proclaim during their prayers at the end of Yom Kippur and during the Passover feast that goes: “lshanah habah biyirushalayim habnuyah’’ (next year in the rebuilt Jerusalem). The phrase was initially coined by 11th century Spanish Rabbi Isaac Ibn Ghiyatt who wrote a poem called Yedidekha me-Emesh which contains the phrase. Last year, when the 242nd Independence Day celebration took place in Tel Aviv, Netanyahu relayed the passage to Friedman: “lshanah habah ’’ (next year in Jerusalem).

The ‘rebuilt Jerusalem part refers to the rebuilding of the Temple. However, Friedman made a clever play on words by replacing the phrase ‘leshanah habah’ (next year) with ‘leshanah hazeh (this year). And although he stopped short of saying the ‘rebuilt Jerusalem part’, it can be implied by those familiar with the phrase, that the natural continuation of the sentence is ‘in re-built Jerusalem’. That’s because there is no other context in the Hebrew language where the phrase ‘this year in Jerusalem’ or ‘next year in Jerusalem’ is used aside from the continuation of the phrase which invokes the building of the Temple.

Therefore, it is entirely plausible that Trump’s Israel Ambassador, David Friedman implied that the Third Temple will be rebuilt this year in Jerusalem. And right after he said it, he made the Jewish blessing on a glass of wine and drank it.

Just two days after swinging a 10-pound hammer to inaugurate the Pilgrimage Road archaeological site, Friedman showed no signs of fatigue. During his speech, the ambassador made a compelling connection of America’s founding fathers to Jerusalem.

The ambassador said: “The Declaration of Independence provided that every human being was created equal and endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, including life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

“The notion that essential human rights came from God and not man was a revolutionary concept. It made those rights permanent, undeniable and immune from the vagaries of politics, not only in the United States but around the world. How did our founding fathers know which rights God considered unalienable? Remember, the Declaration of Independence doesn’t just say these rights are important – it says these rights are divine. Well, I’m sure many of our founding fathers read John Locke and Thomas Hobbs and other great thinkers. But I’m even more certain that they read the Bible. Especially because all of the unalienable rights identified in the Declaration of Independence find their home in the Bible itself. Many believe – and certainly, our founding fathers believed – that the word of our creator is expressed in the Bible, and, as recognized by the prophet Isaiah, that word emerged from the city of Jerusalem. As Isaiah said, ‘out of Zion shall go forth the law and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.’”Friedman proclaimed.

“To understand this connection between the birth of our nation and the City of Jerusalem is to understand all that has transpired since between Israel and the United States. It is to understand why the Pilgrims risked their lives in the 17^th century to reach a new world and establish what many of them referred to as a ‘new Jerusalem’” he added.

As is the tradition, the event concluded with a fireworks display.

Source: https://www.breakingisraelnews.com/132635/did-trumps-israel-ambassador-imply-third-temple-built/

The post Did Trump’s ambassador to Israel call for the Third Temple to be built in 2019? first appeared on Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association.

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Washington’s patience for the Palestinian Authority leadership is nearly spent.

Ever since President Donald Trump came to the White House, US-Palestinian relations have been tense, to say the least.

Trump’s overt affinity for Israel, and his unwillingness to tolerate the outrageous claims and demands of Palestinian leaders is, according to most Israelis, a breath of fresh air.

Of course, the Palestinian Authority sees the situation quite differently. President Mahmoud Abbas has become so upset by the Trump Administration that he’s taken to spouting personal insults against American diplomats.

Speaking to Palestinian officials in Ramallah this week, Abbas referred to US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman as a “son of a dog” for his personal views on the legitimacy of the Israeli settlement enterprise in the biblical heartland of Judea and Samaria.

A day later, White House and US State Department officials warned Abbas to curb his hostile rhetoric.

“President Abbas’s comments were outrageous and unhelpful,” said State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert. “We urge the Palestinian Authority to focus its efforts on improving the lives of the Palestinian people and advancing the cause of peace. The administration remains fully committed to those goals.”

Trump’s Middle East envoy, Jason Greenblatt, also chimed in, writing on Twitter that “the time has come for President Abbas to choose between hateful rhetoric and concrete and practical efforts to improve the quality of life of his people and lead them to peace and prosperity.”

The US Congress is set to vote in the coming days on a bill that includes significant cuts to American foreign aid to the Palestinian Authority, which Trump has indicated must be earned by good behavior and a willingness to make peace with Israel.

PHOTO: US envoy to the Middle East Jason Greenblatt meets with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas on May 25, 2017. Photo by FLASH90

Source: http://www.israeltoday.co.il/Default.aspx?tabid=178&nid=33634

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President Trump has repeatedly expressed hope that he can secure the “ultimate deal,” and U.S. officials say this week’s visit is intended to show a renewed commitment after a spate of violence last month.

Kushner is expected to arrive in Israel on Wednesday night along with deputy national security adviser Dina Powell and Middle East envoy Jason D. Greenblatt. He traveled from Cairo, where he met with Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sissi and also held talks with officials from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

But since Kushner’s last visit to the region in June, a corruption scandal embroiling Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has deepened, leaving the Israeli leader increasingly beholden to right-wing factions in his coalition and support base and even less able to make concessions, some observers say.

Meanwhile, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas remains unpopular and politically isolated, with a decade-long split between his leadership in the West Bank and Hamas leaders in Gaza widening in recent months.

“Both leaders are focused on their domestic political survival,” said Gadi Baltiansky, former Israeli peace negotiator and director of the Israeli-Palestinian peace movement the Geneva Initiative. “That makes aspirations to launch genuine peace process a bit unrealistic. Abbas is in a situation where he cannot deliver the deal that he talks about, and Netanyahu is not even able to describe the deal that he wants.”

With neither leader able to make “courageous decisions,” one is needed from the U.S. administration, Baltiansky said.

Trump, however, is facing his own distractions: fallout from his response to the violence in Charlottesville, rising tensions with North Korea and the investigation into his campaign’s dealings with Russia.

Dan Shapiro, a former U.S. ambassador to Israel and a fellow at the Tel Aviv-based Institute for National Security Studies, said he had been “hopeful” earlier this year on Trump’s chances to make some progress because both sides were eager to maintain good relations with Washington.

“That kind of leverage has a very short shelf life,” he said. “As the political circumstances of the leaders in the region have changed and deteriorated from the point of view of their flexibility, and as president Trump’s own standing has taken a beating because of his domestic controversies, I believe his leverage has declined significantly.”

Shapiro said the administration should instead focus on “managing the conflict” while keeping the possibility of a two-state solution alive until the political climate improves.

Diana Buttu, who formally served as a legal adviser for the Palestinian negotiating team, said that with both sides politically desperate, there may be an opportunity for talks, though she didn’t expect them to come to anything.

“Everybody needs a process,” she said. The 82-year-old Abbas has “to show he’s doing something” after 12 years in office “marked by nothing,” Buttu said.

“The only thing he can do is negotiate,” she said. “He needs a process because he’s a one-trick pony and it’s what he’s been pushing.”

However, Abbas will be aware that Netanyahu is more inflexible than ever as corruption investigations against him close in, she added. Palestinians officials say engaging in a process for the sake of it would only benefit the Israeli side, as they would be able to reap the diplomatic gains of being seen to be pushing for peace without having to make any concessions.

A peace process is generally popular with the Israeli public, but only a slim majority of Israelis and Palestinians support the two-state solution, according to a joint poll conducted by Tel Aviv University and the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research in August. Support among Israeli Jews declined from 50 percent at the end of last year to 47 percent, it showed.

Last month Netanyahu’s former chief-of-staff Ari Harow agreed to testify against him in two corruption cases, raising the likelihood that the Israeli leader will be indicted. Since then Netanyahu has been attempting to rally his base behind him, blaming Israel’s left-wing and the media for a conspiracy to bring him down.

The Trump administration’s unwillingness to commit publicly on whether it supports a two-state solution puts the Palestinian leadership in a difficult position and officials have been venting their frustration. In comments leaked to media, Abbas said there is “chaos” in the administration.

“I have met with Trump envoys about 20 times since the beginning of his term as president of the United States,” he reportedly said in a meeting with the left-wing Meretz party. “Every time they repeatedly stressed to me how much they believe and are committed to a two-state solution and a halt to construction in the settlements. I have pleaded with them to say the same thing to Netanyahu, but they refrained.”

Roughly 400,000 Israeli Jews live in some 120 official settlements in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, not including East Jerusalem. Most of the world considers the settlements illegal, but Israel disputes that.

A state department official, speaking on the condition of anonymity before the official visit, said the administration has “made clear” that unrestrained settlement activity “does not advance the prospect for peace,” but it also recognizes that past demands for a settlement freeze “have not helped advance peace talks.”

Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/kushner-already-had-his-work-cut-out-in-the-middle-east-but-it-just-got-harder/2017/08/23/e7a58c58-8425-11e7-9e7a-20fa8d7a0db6_story.html

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