The Historic Negev Summit

Al-Ittihad, UAE, April 1

The historic Negev Summit brought together the foreign ministers of four Arab countries for the first time in Israel, with their counterparts, the foreign ministers of Israel and the United States. The summit took place at a precise time that coincided with major global events such as the Ukraine crisis and the negotiations with Iran over a new nuclear deal. It is worth noting that the Negev Summit was preceded by a tripartite summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, in the presence of the leaders of Egypt, Israel, and the UAE, who are three of the most prominent United States allies in the region. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian spoke publicly about this issue, saying: “the removal of the Revolutionary Guard Corps from the US terror watchlist is among the few outstanding issues” which confirms the existence of negotiations between Washington and Tehran on this exact point. The arrival of the foreign ministers at the Negev Summit coincided with the Israeli government’s announcement of its approval to increase the quota of Palestinian workers from the Gaza Strip to 20,000, which confirms the fact that the Arab moderation countries attach great importance to improving the standard of living of the Palestinian people. Unfortunately, terrorism reared its ugly head during the summit, as ISIS-affiliated terrorists committed a despicable attack in the town of Hadera, north of Tel Aviv. The attack was condemned by all the foreign ministers present at the summit. Among the most prominent outcomes of the summit is the establishment of a regional security framework for cooperation against ballistic missiles, drones, and piracy in the Red Sea. This was a clear indication that the Abraham Accords peace agreements contributed to laying the foundations of security and stability in the region, in order to achieve a safe life for all peoples and nations. In a speech delivered by His Highness Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan during the Negev Summit, the Emirati foreign minister said: “300,000 Israelis visited the UAE in the last year and a half and, at the same time, 2 million visitors visited the Israel Pavilion at the Expo in Dubai in just six months. … This shows us the extent of curiosity and the desire to know each other.” These simple and sincere words express the feelings of every human being who is searching for true peace; a feeling that is strengthened by the growing relations between the countries participating in the summit. – Ahdiya Ahmed Al-Sayed (translated by Asaf Zilberfarb)