If the US rejoins the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, it could set back Israel's process of normalization with Arab and Muslim countries, outgoing US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman warns.
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Speaking to Israel Hayom in a farewell interview, Freidman explained that the Abraham Accords came into being thanks to daily work by the Trump administration and that they had been made possible due to the trust all sides had shown the US in recent years – partly in due to the administration's aggressive stance toward Tehran.
Friedman said that if Washington were to soften its Iran policies, it could bring the Middle East peace process to a halt or even reverse it.
According to Freidman, the Abraham Accords must not be taken for granted.
"These are young agreements, very important to Israel and the region, that could change the Middle East in the next 100 years. They could be executed because the US was seen as a strong player on which all sides could rest," Freidman explained.
However, the outgoing ambassador warned that if Iran were to grow stronger and the US removed economic sanctions on the Tehran regime, it could send all sides back to their corners.
"If the US strengthens Iran, it won't be able to promote the process, and there will be friction. The Abraham Accords happened for many reasons: technology, economy, tourism, and more, but the defense element against the shared danger from Iran was very important. If the next [US] administration bolsters Iran, the status of the US will weaken, and it will have a hard time moving the process ahead," he said.
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