Israel is expanding its ties with Arab states, Lapid says

Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Abdullatif Al-Zayani (R) and his Israeli counterpart Yair Lapid greet each other after signing agreements between their countries in the Bahraini capital Manama, on September 30, 2021 [MAZEN MAHDI/AFP via Getty Images]

Israel is working to expand its ties with Arab states, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said at the Jewish Federations of North America’s annual conference yesterday.

“I wouldn’t name names because this will harm the process, but of course, we’re working with the United States and with the new friends in the Emirates, in Bahrain and Morocco… in order to expand this to other countries,” he said.

“This doesn’t mean we’re neglecting forever and ever the Palestinian issue that we have also to work on. We will always have to keep an eye both on Gaza and on Hezbollah up north.”

Israel signed peace treaties known as the Abraham Accords with the UAE and Bahrain in September last year. This was followed by announcements that Sudan and Morocco had also agreed to normalise ties with the occupation state. Palestinians have condemned the move.

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