Israel acoge una “cumbre histórica” con los países firmantes de los Acuerdos de Abraham
Israel has been the scene of another historic summit. The United States, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco met in the Hebrew country in order to seal the cooperation that exists between these countries following the signing of the Abraham Accords, signed in 2020.
Thus, the US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, was one of the first personalities to refer to the good relations that unite these states and indicated that the Middle East "is an area of the world where the US has vital interests and we will continue to strengthen relations to facilitate stability in the region".
He also underlined the efforts being made by the US to try to alleviate the food shortages that could affect countries in the region as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. On the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, Blinken stressed that the United States would "tighten sanctions against Russia" and said that they would be working "to reduce dependence on gas during the transition period to renewable energy". He also stressed the need to "open borders" to Ukrainian refugees who leave their homes behind as a result of Russia's relentless attacks.
Iran's nuclear programme was another of the issues highlighted during the summit. Blinken addressed Israel and applauded its ongoing cooperation with the Israeli government to eliminate "the threat posed" by the nuclear programme.
During the press conference and alongside his Israeli counterpart, Blinken indicated that the commitment to nuclear non-proliferation with respect to Iran is "unwavering". He also stated that Washington will continue to confront Iran "when it threatens us or our allies".
Blinken referred to Iran as a "destabilising" power and reiterated Washington's commitment to prevent Tehran from continuing to acquire nuclear weapons. He went on to state that "returning to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (the nuclear deal) is the best way to constrain Iran's nuclear programme. Israel and the United States will continue to work together to prevent a nuclear Iran".
In the same vein, his Israeli counterpart, Yair Lapid, declared that "there are differences between us on the nuclear deal and its consequences, but open and honest dialogue is part of the strength of our friendship. Israel and the United States will continue to work together to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons," he said.
Blinken stressed that the purpose of this visit, which includes Israel and the West Bank, "is because it is a region that matters to Washington, and we will continue to strengthen relations in the region and invest in improving stability in the Middle East and North Africa and make sure that these challenges are addressed". In this regard, security cooperation with Tel Aviv remains very close, referring to President Joe Biden's signing of a new defence budget that provides $1 billion for "enhancing Israel's national security".
Blinken said he would meet with Palestinian leaders at a later date to discuss "de-escalating tensions and ensuring that the Passover and Ramadan period passes peacefully without escalation".
In addition to the United States, Israel's commitment to strengthening relations with Arab countries in the region is well known and highly significant. Last week, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennet met with Emirati Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed and Egyptian President Abdelfattah al-Sisi in an exercise to further strengthen ties, demonstrating the effectiveness of the Abraham Accords, historic agreements that diplomatically linked Israel with the Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco, Arab countries with which there was a significant rift due to the Palestinian conflict.
Blinken also underscored "America's strong commitment to Israeli security, coordination on Ukraine and Iran," and work to "build on the achievements of the Abraham Accords," while reaffirming America's commitment "to the two-state solution and to greater freedom, security, and prosperity for Palestinians and Israelis alike".