The historic peace deal announced Thursday between the United Arab Emirates and Israel earned mixed reaction, garnering both praise and condemnation from Israeli officials.
The agreement is the product of lengthy negotiations between Washington, Jerusalem and Abu Dhabi. As part of the deal, Israel reportedly agreed to suspend plans to extend sovereignty to parts of Judea and Samaria and the Jordan Valley.
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The move, lauded by Israeli officials from across the political spectrum, makes the UAE the first Persian Gulf state to forge official diplomatic relations with Israel and the third Arab country overall to normalize relations with the Jewish state, following Egypt and Jordan.
President Reuven Rivlin took to Twitter immediately after the treaty was announced and invited Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan to visit Jerusalem.
Rivlin said the agreement was "an important and strategic milestone" that could jumpstart agreements with other countries in the region.
Blue and White leader Defense Minister Benny Gantz praised the decision to normalize ties between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and urged other countries in the region to follow suit.
"I welcome this important and significant agreement and I would like to first and foremost thank US President Donald Trump, a true friend of Israel, along with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Sheikh Muhammad Bin Zaid," Gantz, who also serves as the PM-designate in the unity government his party formed with Likud, said in a statement.
"This deal demonstrates the alliance between countries in the region that are interested in regional stability and prosperity and it reflects Israel's eternal pursuit for peace with its neighbors. I am sure that this agreement will have many positive implications for the entire Middle East as well as for Israel's standing in the world and the region," he said, adding, "I call on other Arab countries to advance ties with Israel with additional peace treaties."
Opposition leader Yair Lapid welcomed the deal, saying it was "an important achievement" and "proof that negotiations and agreements, not unilateral steps like annexation which would harm Israel's security, are the way forward for our diplomatic relations. I thank President Trump for his support for this agreement."
The establishment of formal relations between Jerusalem and Abu Dhabi "opens the door for additional agreements," said Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi.
Taking to Twitter, he thanked Trump, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and Netanyahu for "marking this historic achievement."
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee issued a statement saying it greatly appreciates the efforts of President Donald Trump and his administration in facilitating the diplomatic move.
The influential lobbying group said that the United Arab Emirates "joins Egypt and Jordan in paving the path to peace through recognition and engagement rather than by seeking to isolate and boycott the Jewish state."
AIPAC urged other Arab states and the Palestinians to follow the UAE's lead and "end its boycott of Israel and America and return to the negotiating table."
'Netanyahu missed a once in a century opportunity'
In a special press briefing on Thursday night, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stressed that the US insisted only on a pause in the extended sovereignty plan, and said that he remains committed to President Donald Trump's regional peace plan, calling it "the most realistic plan since 1967."
Netanyahu reiterated that he was committed to seeing the sovereignty bid through, stressing that he "will never give up on our rights in our land."
That, however, did little to convince the leaders of the settlement movement.
David Alhayani, chairman of the Yesha Council, the top settler leadership organization, said Netanyahu "duped the settler electorate" into voting for him with promises of sovereignty bid.
"It's safe to say we don't trust Netanyahu anymore," he stated.
National Union head MK Bezalel Smotrich said the deal showed Netanyahu was "not a true nationalist."
Yamina leader Naftali Bennett welcomed the peace treaty but said Netanyahu "missed a once in a century opportunity. ... it's tragic that Netanyahu did not seize the moment."
Beit El Mayor Shai Alon accuses Netanyahu of "selling out the settlement movement. ... Our future lies in Judea and Samaria and in courageous decisions that the Israeli leadership makes – not with deals that will not be worth the paper they are written on tomorrow."
The Sovereignty Movement blasted Netanyahu for "choosing peace with the UAE over the sovereignty bid. The prime minister seeks to cater to the Left – perhaps due to his legal troubles. Under his leadership, the Land of Israel has become a currency for trade."
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