August 13, 2020 — New York
American Jewish Committee (AJC) welcomes today’s historic announcement of a peace deal between United Arab Emirates and Israel, made possible with the active engagement of the United States.
The accord, expected to be formalized and signed in the coming weeks, envisions full diplomatic relations, direct flights, and robust people-to-people exchanges.
“This is an electrifying moment,” said AJC CEO David Harris. “Its importance for the entire region cannot be overstated. First, the potential for UAE-Israel cooperation in many spheres is vast. Second, it adds to the architecture of peace, following the 1979 treaty with Egypt and the 1994 treaty with Jordan. Third, it sends a powerful, uplifting message to others in the area of what the future of the Middle East can look like. And fourth, it is a welcome reminder of America’s unique capacity to facilitate such outcomes.”
“Indeed, special recognition goes to the United States,” Harris added. “President Trump and his dedicated team made this a high priority and were critical to achieving the outcome. We express our heartfelt admiration and appreciation.”
“And I would add,” Harris concluded, “for AJC, this is a special moment as well. For the past nearly 30 years, led by my AJC staff colleague, Jason Isaacson, we have traveled to the UAE, brought dozens of delegations there, and highlighted UAE leaders in our programming, including, most recently, at our 2020 Virtual Global Forum. We have been struck over the years by the visionary courage of the UAE in increasingly engaging with Israel and opening its doors to a deepening dialogue of the Jewish people. Today’s announcement, of course, takes the relationship to an entirely new level, one we hope will be emulated by other nations that wish to chart a promising new direction for the region.”
