The foreign ministers of the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt arrived in Israel on Sunday ahead of a historic summit on Monday, where they were greeted by Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs Yair Lapid at Kibbutz Sde Boker.
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Morocco Nasser Bourita was also expected to arrive, along with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who will be joining the group after a meeting with Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas.
Foreign ministers H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed of the United Arab Emirates, Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani of Bahrain and Sameh Shoukry of Egypt arrived at Nevatim Airbase in Israel’s south.
The main topic of discussion will be Iranian aggression in the region and the expected signing of a renewed Iran nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). The signing of the deal could happen as soon as this week, Israeli media reported.
Prior to the summit on Sunday, Blinken met with Lapid, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz and Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett in Jerusalem. Bennett expressed his unease with the United States possibly delisting the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) from its terror list.
Blinken, addressing the Iran issue, insisted that “there’s no daylight between us on the fundamental proposition that Iran must never be allowed to acquire a nuclear weapon.”
Bennett also spotlighted positive changes brought to the region with the signing of the Abraham Accords in 2020 between Israel, the UAE, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco.
“The Middle East is changing, and it’s changing for the better,” said Bennett. “We’re cultivating old ties and building new bridges. We are rejuvenating old peace and charging it with the new energy of the Abraham Accords. We’re working together to overcome the old forces of darkness and build a new future that’s better, brighter and promising.”
