UAE scraps Israel boycott in new step towards normal ties - state news agency

[rooster59]

UAE scraps Israel boycott in new step towards normal ties - state news agency

By Maher Chmaytelli

 

FILE PHOTO: The municipality building is lit in the United Arab Emirates national flag following the announcement of a deal to normalise relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, in Tel Aviv, Israel August 13, 2020. REUTERS/Ammar Awad/File Photo

 

DUBAI (Reuters) - The president of the United Arab Emirates scrapped an economic boycott against Israel, allowing trade and financial agreements between the countries in another key step towards normal ties, the UAE's state news agency reported on Saturday.

 

Israel and the UAE said on Aug. 13 they would normalise diplomatic relations in a deal brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump that reshapes the order of Middle East politics from the Palestinian issue to the fight against Iran.

 

President Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan issued a decree abolishing a boycott law as part of "the UAE's efforts to expand diplomatic and commercial cooperation with Israel, leading to bilateral relations by stimulating economic growth and promoting technological innovation," the WAM news agency said.

 

Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi said the UAE had taken "an important step towards peace, which will yield substantial economic and commercial achievements for both people while strengthening the stability in the region."

 

The announcement came as Israeli flag carrier El Al Israel Airlines Ltd prepared to operate the country's first direct flight between Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport and the UAE's capital, Abu Dhabi.

 

An Israeli government delegation and top aides to Trump, including his senior adviser Jared Kushner, are due to travel on the flight on Aug. 31, a U.S. official said.

 

Before the Aug. 13 deal can be officially signed, details must be agreed on issues such as the opening of embassies, trade and travel links.

 

Israel’s Channel 13 TV said bilateral trade could initially be worth $4 billion a year, a figure it said could soon be tripled or quadrupled. Government officials did not immediately confirm that estimate.

 

Israeli Agriculture Minister Alon Schuster said Israel was working on potential joint projects that could help improve the oil-rich Gulf nation's food security, such as water desalination and crop cultivation in the desert.

 

"With their money and our experience, we could go a long way," he told Tel Aviv radio station 102 FM in an interview on Friday.

 

Officials from the two countries recently said they were looking at cooperation in defence, medicine, tourism and technology.

 

The decree announced on Saturday means UAE citizens and businesses will be free to do business with Israel.

 

The two countries do not yet have official air links, and it was unclear whether Monday's El Al flight would be able to fly over Saudi Arabia - which has no official ties with Israel - to cut down on flight time.

 

In May, an Etihad Airways plane flew from the UAE to Tel Aviv to deliver supplies to the Palestinians to help fight coronavirus, marking the first known flight by an UAE carrier to Israel.

 

(Additional reporting by Dan Williams and Maayan Lubell in Jerusalem; Editing by Helen Popper and Clelia Oziel)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-08-30

 

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[ezzra]

Here is one arab with a non arab head on his shoulders, a man who think and act for the benefits of his people and future generations unlike other arab leaders who are tirelessly pendering for a lost cause of others...

[TopDeadSenter]

Seriously, I can't help but wonder if Kushner and Trump will receive an iconic "peace" award for achieving the impossible? The significance of their success here, while being downplayed, is possibly the greatest political achievement since winning the 2nd WW. 

 I suppose the American Jewish vote will be strongly favoring Trump in November.

[Pattaya Spotter]

Palestinians...your move.

[car720]

I suppose it is possible that calmer heads may prevail.

[Catoni]

 Biggest step toward peace in the Middle East in maybe a quarter century at least. Congratulations to all sides and to those who brought this about. 
    Great accomplishment for sure. ????????   ????????????????

[Iron Tongue]

That is a list being circulated by anti-semites.

 

Several of those named aren't even in office anymore such as Al Franken and Joe Lieberman.

 

 

[puipuitom]

2 hours ago, Andrew65 said:

In many countries politicians aren't allowed to hold any other nationality, because it can cause a conflict of interest.I perceive Israel as like an overseas territory of America. When Israel says jump, DC says how high? It's behind wars in the ME in the last 20 years, getting rid of Israel's enemies.

As far as religion goes, I'm a staunch atheist, many problems through history have been caused by religion, it's divisive.

The speaker of the House in Netherlands is a Moroccan born lady, Arib. Probably the best in decades.

The Mayor of Rotterdam is a Moroccan born man, Abouthaleb arrived in NL as a 17 y old boy. Even the anti-islam party Leefbaar Rotterdam ( livable Rotterdam) does not oppose him anymore, as it was THIS mayor, who stopped the Turkish minister to enter NL against the will of the Dutch government. 

Their loyalty is beyond any doubt: their appointments in Netherlands

[khunjeff]

7 minutes ago, Sujo said:

Thats amazing. How on earth can people who hold dual citizenship hold office.

 

A short time ago this was a big issue in australia and caused resignations. Even if they did not have dual citizenship but were elligible for it they resigned.

The US has no law barring elected officials from having dual nationality.

 

More to the point, however, the information in the graphic is totally false - someone just posted a list of representatives and senators who are Jewish or have Jewish-sounding names, and stated without any evidence that they are somehow all Israeli citizens. My guess is that exactly 0% of the people on that list have Israeli passports.

[gazza4]

5 hours ago, CorpusChristie said:

Are you sure you got that right ? re read it, it doesnt make sense 

I agree. Surely it's the reverse. America is surely an overseas part of Israel. Not only America, I might add!

[Morch]

13 hours ago, TopDeadSenter said:

Seriously, I can't help but wonder if Kushner and Trump will receive an iconic "peace" award for achieving the impossible? The significance of their success here, while being downplayed, is possibly the greatest political achievement since winning the 2nd WW. 

 I suppose the American Jewish vote will be strongly favoring Trump in November.

 

You can hardly be taken seriously when the only prism through which you judge things and comment about them is Trump adulation. Since winning WWII? I'd guess that even in context, Israel's peace agreement with Egypt was way more monumental.

 

You can "suppose" what you like, but as far as I'm aware, support for Trump is mostly a thing with religious orthodox, or the more hardcore Jewish conservatives. At this point in time, they are not yet the majority of the Jewish vote (which is tiny, anyway).

 

[Scott]

Posts reported and removed.   Suspensions given for post false and misleading information. 

[Morch]

10 hours ago, Catoni said:

 Biggest step toward peace in the Middle East in maybe a quarter century at least. Congratulations to all sides and to those who brought this about. 
    Great accomplishment for sure. ????????   ????????????????

 

If that's the "biggest step" etc., then just shows how bad things are in the region. Basically, it's mostly the public acknowledgement of relations that existed for quite a while, and their extension to, possibly, the full spectrum. It appears that it may also involve the sale of top end USA military hardware to the UAE, which Israel previously objected to, and now in a harder position to do so.

[Pattaya Spotter]

Looks like progress is being made in starting full diplomatic and commercial relations. Too bad the Palestinians don't seem ready to jump on board.

 

On Saturday, the UAE abolished its Israel boycott law, opening the way for the flight as well as agreements in the commercial, financial and other sectors.

 

“We consider this a stab in the back and we absolutely reject it,” Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said of the deal.

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/kushner-leads-israeli-and-uae-negotiators-in-talks-to-finalize-formal-ties/2020/08/31/e08c6c78-eb53-11ea-bd08-1b10132b458f_story.html?hpid=hp_world1-8-12_uae-815am%3Ahomepage%2Fstory-ans

Edited August 31, 2020 by Pattaya Spotter

[bodga]

Well done UAE

[Kelsall]

"Israel and the UAE said on Aug. 13 they would normalise diplomatic relations in a deal brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump that reshapes the order of Middle East politics from the Palestinian issue to the fight against Iran."

 

Thank you President Trump!

Edited August 31, 2020 by Kelsall

[Pattaya Spotter]

3 minutes ago, Kelsall said:

"Israel and the UAE said on Aug. 13 they would normalise diplomatic relations in a deal brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump that reshapes the order of Middle East politics from the Palestinian issue to the fight against Iran."

 

Thank you President Trump!

More winning.

[Morch]

10 minutes ago, Pattaya Spotter said:

Looks like progress is being made in starting full diplomatic and commercial relations. Too bad the Palestinians don't seem ready to jump on board.

 

On Saturday, the UAE abolished its Israel boycott law, opening the way for the flight as well as agreements in the commercial, financial and other sectors.

 

“We consider this a stab in the back and we absolutely reject it,” Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said of the deal.

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/kushner-leads-israeli-and-uae-negotiators-in-talks-to-finalize-formal-ties/2020/08/31/e08c6c78-eb53-11ea-bd08-1b10132b458f_story.html?hpid=hp_world1-8-12_uae-815am%3Ahomepage%2Fstory-ans

 

Not ignoring the Palestinians' failure to engage or remain more relevant, nor their own domestic issues - how do you mean "jump on board"? They weren't really offered anything acceptable by this administration and their own relations with the UAE were practically severed a while back as well.

[Pattaya Spotter]

1 minute ago, Morch said:

 

Not ignoring the Palestinians' failure to engage or remain more relevant, nor their own domestic issues - how do you mean "jump on board"? They weren't really offered anything acceptable by this administration and their own relations with the UAE were practically severed a while back as well.

You're probably right...the elimination of the state of Israel was never on the table.

[Morch]

6 minutes ago, Pattaya Spotter said:

You're probably right...the elimination of the state of Israel was never on the table.

 

You're probably trying to insinuate something that wasn't included in my post, and not particularly relevant either. Try harder.

 

The Trump administration did not offer the Palestinian something particularly enticing. You can spin words as much as you like. That the Palestinians had a lot to do with digging themselves into this hole is another matter. There's a whole range of options between various Israeli positions, various Palestinian positions and the extreme you posted. But then again, you're probably on this topic in order to adulate Trump, so not expecting much informed or meaningful discussion.

 

[Pattaya Spotter]

9 minutes ago, Morch said:

 

You're probably trying to insinuate something that wasn't included in my post, and not particularly relevant either. Try harder.

 

The Trump administration did not offer the Palestinian something particularly enticing. You can spin words as much as you like. That the Palestinians had a lot to do with digging themselves into this hole is another matter. There's a whole range of options between various Israeli positions, various Palestinian positions and the extreme you posted. But then again, you're probably on this topic in order to adulate Trump, so not expecting much informed or meaningful discussion.

 

The Palestinians are know for "never missing an opportunity to miss an opportunity" and the comments of their president prove this once again. They've had 70 years to make peace with the Jewish state, with innumerable peace plans offered to them, but they have always rejected them (even their OWN plans). It seems the rest of the world is tired of them, and their games, and are moving on.

Edited August 31, 2020 by Pattaya Spotter

[Morch]

1 hour ago, Pattaya Spotter said:

The Palestinians are know for "never missing an opportunity to miss an opportunity" and the comments of their president prove this once again. They've had 70 years to make peace with the Jewish state, with innumerable peace plans offered to them, but they have always rejected them (even their OWN plans). It seems the rest of the world is tired of them, and their games, and are moving on.

 

That's all very well (and you can find echos of the same in some of my posts), but doesn't change the fact that the Trump administration offer, if it can be called that, was obviously unacceptable, possibly even designed as such. And it still doesn't go toward explaining how "jump on board" applies.