Sec. of State Antony Blinken anticipates more Abraham Accords sign-ups in 2021
Biden administration will push continue theme of Arab states in the middle east normalising ties with Israel
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he anticipates more normalisation agreements for Israel in the next year.
Blinken spoke Wednesday evening in Washington, D.C., at the Israeli Embassy’s virtual celebration of that nation’s Independence Day, or Yom Haatzmaut. He was joined virtually by Israel’s U.S. ambassador, Gilad Erdan.
“The United States welcomes and supports the recent normalisation agreements,” Blinken said, referring to the Abraham Accords brokered last year by the Trump administration between Israel and four Arab states.
“We will continue to urge more countries to normalise relations with Israel — and will look for other opportunities to expand cooperation among countries in the region. As a result, I expect Israel’s group of friends to grow even wider in the year ahead.”
The Biden administration has pledged to sustain the Trump administration’s normalisation push. Other countries believed to be considering normalisation with Israel include Oman and Saudi Arabia.
Under the Trump administration, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain established full ties with Israel, and Sudan and Morocco launched the process.
There were concerns that President Joe Biden would not maintain the incentives to normalise relations with Israel, chief among them the sale of stealth combat aircraft to the UAE. Congressional aides this week told Reuters that the White House had greenlighted the sale, however.
Also delivering good wishes at the virtual event were the top Democrat and Republican in the Senate: Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., the majority leader, and Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., the minority leader.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
