Don't ignore Israel-Arab Abraham Accords, former President Trump's advisor warns Biden administration

Washington: – ‘Don’t ignore the Abraham Agreement that was signed a year ago to bring Israel and the Arab countries together. If this cooperation is not given the right impetus, it will be to the detriment of the United States,’ warned Jared Kushner, advisor to former US President Donald Trump. Kushner criticised the Biden administration for not being active on the Abraham Agreement. At the same time, the Palestinian leadership should take advantage of the agreement, Kushner said.

The historic Abraham Agreement between Israel, the UAE and Bahrain, mediated by the United States, has just completed one year. Addressing an event in Washington, Jared Kushner, an advisor to former US President Trump, underlined the importance of the agreement and warned the Biden administration. ‘If this agreement, which normalises relations between Israel and the Arab world, is not properly nurtured and not encouraged, this cooperation will be broken, and the matter will backfire on the United States. But if the agreement is supported, the benefits will be huge and beyond our expectations,’ Kushner said.

After President Joe Biden took over the reins of the United States, he had made some favourable statements regarding the Abraham Agreement. But in reality, President Biden and his administration are not keen on this cooperation between Israel and the Arab world. The Biden administration has also avoided appointing special envoys for this cooperation. Two days ago, the Biden administration sent Yael Lampert, the deputy secretary of state, to an event marking the agreement’s anniversary. The Biden administration has been criticised for not trying to get other Arab countries involved in the deal. Against this backdrop, Kushner’s warning is striking.

Meanwhile, the ambassadors of the countries participating in the Abraham Accords expressed satisfaction over the positive results of the cooperation between Israel and the Arab world at an event in Washington. Yousef Al-Otaiba, the UAE’s ambassador to the United States, said the goal was to increase trade between the UAE and Israel to USD 1 trillion over the next decade. Sheikh Abdullah bin Rashid Al Khalifa, Bahrain’s ambassador to the United States, said the cooperation made it possible for Bahraini citizens to visit the Al-Aqsa shrine in Jerusalem and change how they look at Israel. ‘The Abraham Agreement provides an opportunity to establish cooperation between Israel and the Arab world in the face of Iran’s nuclear threat,’ said Gilad Erdan, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations.