The Palestinian Authority will resume negotiations with Israel fairly soon, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu believes.
In a closed-door conversation, Netanyahu said that the regional significance of the newly-signed peace deals between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain left the Palestinians no option other than to come back to the table.
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However, the prime minister said that talks with the PA would re-launch only after the US presidential election on Nov. 3, and only if US President Donald Trump is re-elected.
In the case of a Trump victory, Netanyahu said, he would begin negotiations based on the Trump administration peace plan, as he promised to do.
Meanwhile, ties between Israel and the two now-friendly Gulf nations are solidifying quickly. Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi send personal messages to his counterparts in the UAE and Bahrain in which he wished them and their families a year of "peace, prosperity, stability and health."
Emirati Foreign Minister responded Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan responded with a message that read: "Shana Tova, Gabi, this is a wonderful way to begin the year, and I hope it is a good sign for both of us, Abdullah."
Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani responded to Ashkenazi's message with the words: "Thank you, my dear friend, for the Jewish New Year greeting," and wished him a "blessed year in which we bring peace and stability to the region."
I was wrong. I was wrong. I was wrong. I was wrong. I was wrong. I was wrong. I was wrong. I was wrong. I was wrong. I was wrong. I was wrong. I was wrong. I was wrong. pic.twitter.com/DwByD9JAOD
— Chaskel Bennett (@ChaskelBennett) September 17, 2020
On Thursday, a video from 2016 showing former US President Barack Obama's Secretary of State John Kerry claiming that Israel would make no progress with Arab countries without a peace deal with the Palestinians went viral.
"There will be no separate peace between Israel and the Arab world. I want to make that very clear," Kerry says in the clip.
"I've heard several prominent politicians in Israel sometimes saying, 'Well, the Arab world's in a different place now. We just have to reach out to them … and [then] we'll deal with the Palestinians.' No. No, no, and no.
"There will be no advance and separate peace with the Arab world without the Palestinian process and Palestinian peace. Everybody needs to understand that. That is a hard reality," Kerry says.
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