Democratic presidential nominee and former Vice President Joe Biden applauded the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain for normalizing ties with Israel.
“I welcome the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain taking steps to normalize ties with Israel,” said the former vice president in a statement on Tuesday. “It is good to see others in the Middle East recognizing Israel and even welcoming it as a partner.”
He went on to say that if elected, he and Democratic vice-presidential nominee Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) “will build on these steps, challenge other nations to keep pace, and work to leverage these growing ties into progress toward a two-state solution and a more stable, peaceful region.”
The Abraham Accords were signed in a White House ceremony on Tuesday featuring U.S. President Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Emirati Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani.
These were the first normalization deals between Israel and other Middle East nations since Israel’s peace deal with Egypt in 1979 and with Jordan in 1994. The UAE and Bahrain are the first Gulf states to instill official ties with the Jewish state.
