Diplomatic officials in Israel are optimistic that another Arab country will soon join the Abraham Accords and recognize Israel, Israel Hayom learned on Tuesday.
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In recent weeks, the Biden administration has amplified its efforts to rekindle momentum behind the Accords. Among those efforts, the administration is engaged in intensive talks with Sudan, which recognized Israel but still hasn't completed the normalization process, hasn't sent an official envoy to Israel, and hasn't opened an embassy in Israel. In addition to Sudan – one of four countries to join the Abraham Accords along with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco – talks are also ongoing with another Arab country.
Following the Israel Hayom report, a senior US State Department official said, "We are actively working to expand the Abraham Accords. I don't intend to discuss any specific country, but we think there are tangible, economic and strategic advantages to all sides."
The official added: "The Biden administration strongly supports countries that normalize relations with Israel… We believe these accords have shown there are real advantages to dismantling old obstacles and enhancing cooperation, particularly in ways that promote economic development and ties between people."
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister and Alternate Prime Minister Yair Lapid was expected to meet in Washington on Wednesday with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The three were expected to focus on the current push to add additional Arab countries to the Abraham Accords.
On Tuesday, Lapid met with US Vice President Kamala Harris, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and bipartisan leadership in Congress. The foreign minister also met with US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan. The two discussed the threat of a nuclear Iran.
Lapid's office said in a statement that the foreign minister "conveyed Israel's concerns to [Sullivan] about Iran's race toward nuclear capabilities and that Iran was on the verge of becoming a nuclear threshold state." Lapid also discussed with Sullivan the need for an alternative plan to a nuclear deal.
Next week, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett will depart for Russia next week for his first official meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The diplomatic visit is slated to take place in the Russian city Sochi. Bennett and Putin are expected to discuss various diplomatic, security, and economic issues of interest to Israel and Russia, as well as regional issues – first and foremost, Iran's nuclear program.
Meanwhile, former Mossad chief Yossi Cohen on Tuesday said, "I think that Iran, to this day, is not even close to acquiring a nuclear weapon... due to longstanding efforts by some forces in the world."
Addressing the Jerusalem Post Conference, the former Israeli spymaster added that Iran's position is also weaker in that there is "less foreign support for what [it is] doing than in the past."
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