In a landmark decision, Israel is suspending plans to annex parts of the West Bank as part of a deal to normalize relations with the United Arab Emirates.
The UAE is only the third Arab country to establish active diplomatic ties with Israel. But Palestinians have repeatedly warned Arab governments against committing to such a move until a peace deal is reached and an independent Palestinian state is recognized.
The historic U.S.-brokered deal marks a major foreign policy victory for President Donald Trump and his Mideast team led by son-in-law Jared Kushner. He said Thursday he hopes other Arab countries will follow suit.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu echoed President Trump's remarks, saying, "Today we usher in a new era of peace between Israel and the Arab world. There is a good chance we will soon see more Arab countries joining this expanding circle of peace.”
Emirati officials said they had dealt a “death blow” to Israel's aggressive move to annex property in the West Bank and hoped to help reshape the region. Netanyahu said annexation plans were on a "temporary hold."
