Abraham Accords critical in opening region to full potential, US official says

The Abraham Accords have been “critical” for unleashing the full potential of the Middle East, as demonstrated by the UAE-Israeli relationship one year after the agreements were signed, a senior US official told The National.

“The Abraham Accords and other normalisation agreements have been really critical in opening up the potential of the region and demonstrating the commonalities, shared values and goals of Israel and Arab partners,” said Chris Hodges, deputy assistant secretary for assistance, co-ordination and public diplomacy at the State Department’s Bureau for Near Eastern Affairs.

Last year, the UAE signed a deal that formally established ties with Israel, which was seen as one of the most significant breakthroughs in the Middle East peace process.

I was really struck by the magnitude of the achievement at Expo and what the UAE has been able to do. For me it underscores the many ways that we are co-operating

Chris Hodges,
US State Department

Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to suspend his plan to annex parts of the West Bank as part of the agreement.

Mr Hodges said the relationship between the UAE and Israel demonstrated to other regional states what they “can gain” by building ties.

“The Emirati-Israeli relationship demonstrates all the benefits of that relationship,” he said. The countries are “seeing the dividends” of their newly established ties, he said.

Helping Emiratis and Israelis understand each other

Mr Hodge, who served as the head of the Palestinian Affairs Unit at the US Embassy in Israel, said more work needed to be done.

“There remains a good deal of momentum to do more and to try to more concertedly articulate what the Abraham Accords means for these relationships, so we want to be supportive as much as we can,” he said.

Mr Hodges, who is on a visit to the UAE, said Washington was hoping to witness similar agreements in the future that would enhance multilateral investment, tourism, education and initiatives to fight climate change.

“We hope that the Abraham Accords can be a driver into achieving these things, whether it be new investment, partnerships, educational partnerships, things that allow the Palestinian people to benefit from this momentum in the region,” he said.

Shortly after the announcement that the UAE and Israel were seeking to formally establish ties in August last year, Bahrain joined the effort.

The Abraham Accords were formally signed between Israel, the UAE and Bahrain in Washington on September 15, 2020, opening the door for diplomatic, trade, travel and business ties between them.

The UAE and Israel opened embassies in each other's countries in the past year, formalising their commitment to peace in the region.

“It’s important to think about what it means to open up an embassy for a relationship, it’s not just the governments coming together, it’s the civil society, the tourism, investments,” Mr Hodges said.

He said the Accords had helped Emiratis and Israelis to better understand each other.

“This is what an embassy does, it focuses on commonality. I think it’s exciting and I look forward to more such relationships in the region because these countries have so much to offer each other,” he said.

US-UAE relations

The US official described relations between Abu Dhabi and Washington as “wide-ranging, strong and maturing".

“It is certainly valuable for both sides across a number of different areas and spheres,” he said.

Last year, the UAE and US began a new strategic dialogue.

They agreed to focus on UAE-US ties in eight key areas: politics, defence, law enforcement and border security, intelligence and counterterrorism, human rights, economics, culture and academic co-operation and space.

“I was really struck by the magnitude of the achievement at Expo and what the UAE has been able to do, for me it underscores the many ways that we are co-operating outside the traditional spheres,” he said.

The US pavilion at Expo “demonstrates the deep cultural ties that we enjoy”, he said.

Mr Hodges said Washington's commitment in the region was to “continue to support Israel as a partner and that’s why the normalising agreements are exciting opportunities to grow partnerships in the region".

“We want to build a series of stable partners that we can both help and be helped by, as we continue our engagements in the Middle East,” he said.

Most wanted allegations

Benjamin Macann, 32: involvement in cocaine smuggling gang.
Jack Mayle, 30: sold drugs from a phone line called the Flavour Quest.
Callum Halpin, 27: over the 2018 murder of a rival drug dealer.
Asim Naveed, 29: accused of being the leader of a gang that imported cocaine.
Calvin Parris, 32: accused of buying cocaine from Naveed and selling it on.
John James Jones, 31: allegedly stabbed two people causing serious injuries.
Callum Michael Allan, 23: alleged drug dealing and assaulting an emergency worker.
Dean Garforth, 29: part of a crime gang that sold drugs and guns.
Joshua Dillon Hendry, 30: accused of trafficking heroin and crack cocain.
Mark Francis Roberts, 28: grievous bodily harm after a bungled attempt to steal a £60,000 watch.
James ‘Jamie’ Stevenson, 56: for arson and over the seizure of a tonne of cocaine.
Nana Oppong, 41: shot a man eight times in a suspected gangland reprisal attack.

Evacuations to France hit by controversy

Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
Since the start of the Gaza war, it has also included 45 Gazan beneficiaries
Unlike students, they are allowed to bring their families to France

Tips to keep your car cool

Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
Park in shaded or covered areas
Add tint to windows
Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat

Countries recognising Palestine

France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra