After the United Arab Emirates normalized their relations with Israel, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo shared that he hopes to see other Arab states following the move.
He also mentioned that aside from the stability that it will bring to the Middle East, it will also improve the lives of the people. He added that the US will ensure that Israel will retain its military advantage.
The five-day trip of Pompeo started his meeting with Israel's prime minister in Jerusalem. Trips to Bahrain, Sudan, and UAE are also included in his trip to the Middle East.
US President Donald Trump assisted and acted as one of the negotiators to the historic agreement between UAE and Israel earlier this month. The agreement is just the third peace treaty that was agreed by Israel to an Arab country, Yahoo! reported.
Based on the agreement, The UAE and Israel will establish full diplomatic ties which include starting direct flights, open the trading, and exchanging the ambassadors.
Aside from the positive developments, Israel also stated that they will suspend their plans to annex parts of the occupied West Bank which is a move that believed by many that would have killed off chances of peace especially with the Palestinians.
The US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo greeted the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warmly on Monday as he bumped him twice on the elbow while wearing a face mask with a design of stars and stripes in it.
In Pompeo's brief remarks, he praised the agreement between Israel and UAE and emphasized that he was very hopeful that other Arab nations will join also in the said agreement.
According to BBC, Pompeo also added that the opportunity of recognizing the state of Israel, working alongside them will not only add up to the stability in the Middle East but also greatly improve the lives of the people of their respective countries as well.
On the other hand, the Israeli Prime Minister also responded that the agreement heralded a new era not only for both countries but also for other Arab countries in the future.
The Prime Minister also mentioned that in the near future there will be good news, lots of it.
According to the officials coming from the US and Israel, the next countries that will be joining the agreement will probably be Bahrain, Sudan, and Oman.
The US Secretary of State said that they are planning to sell advanced F-35 fighter planes to the UAE after Israel previously purchased it.
Pompeo added that the United States has a legal requirement and respect for Israel's military edge and they will continue to honor it.
He stressed that they are now having a 20-plus year security relationship with the United Arab Emirates, wherein they have provided the UAE the military and technical assistance that they needed. He also mentioned that they will continue to review the ongoing process and continue making sure that they are delivering them the proper equipment that they needed.
Related article: Japanese Subs Will Blunt Chinese Excursions in Japanese Waters
