US Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has hailed an agreement reached between Israel and the United Arab Emirate (UAE), saying it is a historic step toward more stability in the Middle East.
Israel and the UAE reached the deal on Thursday which will lead to a full normalization of diplomatic relations between the two sides, in an agreement that President Donald Trump apparently helped broker.
Under the agreement, Israel has allegedly agreed to suspend applying its own rule to further areas in the occupied West Bank and the strategic Jordan Valley that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had pledged to annex, senior White House officials told Reuters.
“The UAE’s offer to publicly recognize the State of Israel is a welcome, brave, and badly-needed act of statesmanship,” the former Vice President said in a statement. “Annexation would be a body blow to the cause of peace, which is why I oppose it now and would oppose it as president.”
Meanwhile, the UAE embassy to the US issued a statement saying that the deal was a win for diplomacy and for the region that would lower tensions.
Ambassador Youssef Al Otaiba said on Twitter that the agreement maintained the viability of the so-called two state solution, claiming the UAE remained a strong supporter of the Palestinian people.
The deal, however, has elicited sharp negative reactions from various Palestinian groups as well as their supporters from across the world.
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad Movement reacted rapidly by condemning the deal between the UAE and Israel.
The movement noted that normalization of ties between Tel Aviv and Abu Dhabi was a sign of submission on the latter’s part without having any effect on reducing conflicts in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Islamic Jihad movement also noted that the deal will, on the other hand, further embolden the Israeli occupiers.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has issued a statement, calling for an urgent meeting of Palestinian leadership to be held on the Israel-UAE deal to discuss its consequences.