The president of the United States, Donald Trump, touted the coming of a "new Middle East" after the historic peace agreement between Israel, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Bahrain.
During the time, the Republican leader spoke that the two Gulf states signed the agreements that aimed to normalize their relationship with Israel.
Historic peace agreements
According to BBC, the three Middle Eastern countries considered the pact a monumental movement along with Trump, whose administration was the designated broker to the nations.
The UAE and Bahrain are only the third and fourth Arab nations that have moved to recognize Israel since it was founded in 1948.
President Trump expressed his hopes that other countries in the Middle East would follow similar footsteps in forging a path to peace. However, Palestinians have argued otherwise while the conflicts between the countries remain unresolved.
The majority of Arab states have, for decades, avoided relations with Israel, arguing the country should first settle its disputes with the Palestinians before they consider diplomatic relationships.
On Tuesday, Trump told several hundreds of people present at the White House that the dawn of a new Middle East was coming after several decades of deadly conflicts.
Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, welcomed the agreements, saying they were a historic moment in his country's legacy and marks the beginning of peace in the Middle East.
However, the Palestinians' leader, Mahmoud Abbas, argued that peace within the region could only be achieved when Israel withdraws its troops from occupied territories.
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After the signing of the agreements, Abbas told reporters that only the removal of Israeli occupation in the region would bring peace, security, and stability.
During the ceremony, the Israeli army said two rockets from the Gaza Strip were fired into the country.
Cooperation between countries
The agreements detail how the three nations will cooperate by opening embassies and constructing new diplomatic and economic ties, as reported by The New York Times.
For the first time in history, Israel and the UAE are beginning to conduct commercial air travel between their nations while Bahrain has moved to open its airspace for the flights.
The foreign minister of the UAE, Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, said they already saw the beginning of change within the heart of the Middle East, which he hopes would reverberate throughout the world.
According to Fox News, Bahrain's foreign minister, Dr. Abdullahtif bin Rashid Al Zayani, on the other hand, praised U.S. President Trump for his contributions to the success of the deal. He said that the Republican leader's statesmanship and continuous efforts made the agreement a reality.
However, critics have stated that the deals ignore the conflict between Israel and Palestinians. In contrast, the agreements are hoped to be the starter for a better relationship between Israel and other Arab nations.
During an interview on Tuesday, Trump said that other Arab countries expressed their desire to join in the peace agreements and noted his belief that Palestinians will one day come around as well.
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