Israel and the United Arab Emirates reached an agreement to begin normalizing relations, a potentially historic breakthrough hailed by American and Israeli leaders as a crucial step toward peace yet assailed by Palestinian officials as a betrayal.
A joint statement Thursday from the U.S., Israel and UAE announced that the two Mideast nations will establish normal ties, signaling they will send ambassadors and open more direct commercial relations, including air travel. According to the statement, the UAE and Israel will begin a range of talks in the “coming weeks,” while Israel also agreed to suspend efforts to declare sovereignty over parts of the West Bank.
