Announcing permanent regional forum, Israel, Arab states laud alliance, decry terror
(Worthy News) – At their historic summit in the Israeli Negev town of Sde Boker on Monday, the top diplomats of Israel, the US and four Arab nations announced that the conference would be the first iteration of a permanent regional forum, as they reaffirmed the importance of growing ties between Israel and the broader Middle East.
The foreign ministers of Israel, Egypt, Bahrain, Morocco, and the United Arab Emirates and the US secretary of state all condemned terrorism, a day after an attack in the city of Hadera in which two Border Police officers were shot dead.
The unprecedented gathering was widely seen as an attempt by Israel and its Arab allies to create a front against shared regional foe Iran. Israeli officials told reporters on the scene that the talks centered around creating a “regional security architecture,” among other issues. [ Source: Times of Israel (Read More…) ]
Negev Summit gives Iran ‘something to fear,’ Lapid says
The Negev Summit, Lapid’s brainchild, was organized within a matter of days, as negotiations between world powers and Iran to return to the 2015 nuclear deal were on hold but appeared to be nearing their end.
Israel and Gulf states have been dismayed at the expected results of the talks. The UAE and Saudi Arabia were especially disappointed at Washington’s response to attacks on their countries by the Iran-backed, Yemen-based Houthis, such as those that occurred over the weekend in Jeddah.
Lapid, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and their counterparts – Sameh Shoukri from Egypt, Abdullatif Al Zayani from Bahrain, Abdullah bin Zayed from the UAE and Nasser Bourita from Morocco – gathered in Sde Boker on Sunday and Monday. [ Source: Jerusalem Post (Read More…) ]