US exploring ways to make Trump peace plan binding
Thus far, despite both Israeli and American interest in the "deal of the century" remaining on the table, there is nothing that obligates future administrations to abide by the content of plan.
August 18, 2020 - Israel Hayom
'Israel has postponed plans for sovereignty, not given them up'
Senior Trump adviser Jared Kushner says Palestinian leadership's credibility has fallen to an all-time low, and the world is starting to "block out noise" from Palestinian officials.
August 18, 2020 - Israel Hayom
'Israel has postponed plans for sovereignty, not given them up'
Senior Trump adviser Jared Kushner says Palestinian leadership's credibility has fallen to an all-time low, and the world is starting to "block out noise" from Palestinian officials.
August 18, 2020 - Israel Hayom
How much is peace with the UAE worth?
August 16, 2020 - Israel National News
On Sunday, the Economy Ministry revealed the dollar value of normalized relations with the UAE, estimating that the exports to and investments from the Gulf Arab state will be worth at least $600 million a year.
According to the ministry’s report Sunday, officially, Israel exports just $300,000-worth of goods to the UAE every year.
Immediately following the signing of the Abraham Accords, however, that figure is expected to surge to between $300 million to $500 million per annum.
Pompeo heads home from the Middle East after appearing to hit wall over normalization talks with Israel
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s trip to Israel and other Middle East countries probably did not have the results that he was expecting. The following is exactly as I suspected despite the enthusiasm from Christian supporters of Arab normalizations with Israel.
Arabs backed their Arab Peace Initiative of 2002 in every Pompeo stop
As I have said many times, it is still about the land. Pompeo heard in every Arab stop their support for the Arab Peace Initiative of 2002 with normalizations not mentioned and/or of secondary importance. (Text: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2002/mar/28/israel7)
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Chronology: Kushner Middle East normalization efforts and Israel’s tough week
The future economic benefits of a UAE deal were expressed this week while the Israel economy took another huge hit this week due to COVID-19.
August 30, 2020: The day Kushner arrives in Israel coronavirus emergency extended and record heat;
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Israel hopes for signing deal with UAE by mid-September
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On eve of 1st UAE flight, Netanyahu claims Palestinians can’t ‘veto’ Israel-Arab peace
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Gantz to Kushner: Let’s work together to keep Israel’s military edge
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Ministers ask Knesset committee to extend coronavirus state of emergency from September 6 to November 6
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Intense heat wave settles in across Israel; setting new electricity use record
August 31, 2020
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Palestinians should come to the negotiating table, not remain stuck in the past, Kushner says in the UAE
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Late summer heatwave drives energy consumption to all-time high
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Schools in ‘red’ zones won’t start Tuesday, cabinet rules in about-face
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Ministers okay lockdowns in 30 cities with high infection rates starting Monday
September 1, 2020
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Saudi Arabia’s crown prince and Kushner discuss resuming Palestinian-Israeli talks
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Netanyahu: Decision on lockdowns due to recent increase in infection rate
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Kushner: 100% possible, and logical, for all 22 Arab states to recognize Israel
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Jared Kushner visit shows importance of accord to Trump’s campaign
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Senior UAE official: We got US assurances annexation won’t happen
September 2, 2020
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Qatar to Kushner: Two states needed to end Israeli-Palestinian conflict; another country committed to the Arab Peace Initiative of 2002
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Israel’s coronavirus czar warns of local lockdowns as nearly 3,000 cases recorded in past day
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Expert: Israel’s virus levels so bad many countries would’ve already locked down
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Ministers told hospitals could be overwhelmed by COVID-19 patients in 2 weeks
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Abbas meets Hamas, Islamic Jihad terror heads, says he won’t engage with US plan
September 3, 2020
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Security and business: Israel charts potential of ties with 3 more Gulf states
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Israel coronavirus czar warns of local lockdowns as nearly 3,000 cases recorded in past week
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Israel’s Coronavirus czar Gamzu says 'Israel is at war', tough decisions afoot as virus spreads
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Jerusalem records highest temperature in city since 1942
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Israel has highest rate in world of new coronavirus infections per capita — TV
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Severe weather threat for 59 million, dangerous heat for US West heading into Labor Day weekend
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Trump campaign bracing for legal battle over election, forming ‘coalition’ of lawyers
September 4, 2020
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Netanyahu decries ‘false allegation’ he secretly okayed F-35 jet sales to UAE
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Israel roasts in ongoing extreme heat wave, day after Jerusalem hotter than ever
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Israel readies for High Holidays without foreign visitors
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Heatwave causes power outages across Israel
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Checklist of Middle East countries and normalization: Will Arab Peace Initiative replace the Trump Peace to Prosperity Plan?
Bahrain: On August 25, Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa said he told Pompeo that his country remains committed to the Arab Peace Initiative, which calls for Israel’s complete withdrawal from the territories captured in 1967 in exchange for peace and the full normalization of relations. – Jerusalem Post
UAE: On August 31, Al-Musharakh the director of the Emirati Foreign Ministry’s policy planning department stressed that the “halting of annexation was a prerequisite” to the normalization deal announced last month. “We remain with the Arab consensus and Arab resolutions,” he told The Times of Israel in response to a question on Abu Dhabi’s position on the Arab Peace Initiative, which offered Israel full normalization with the entire Muslim world after a peace agreement is reached with the Palestinians based on the 1967 lines.
“What we did was halt the annexation. The ultimate end solution is to find a sustainable solution between the Israelis and the Palestinians,” al-Musharakh went on. – Times of Israel
Saudi Arabia: On Tuesday, September 2, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met with senior adviser to the US president, Jared Kushner, to discuss regional stability. Talks covered the prospects for the peace process in the region and the need to resume negotiations between the Palestinian and Israeli sides “to achieve a just and lasting peace,” the SPA state news agency reported. – Arab News
Oman: On Wednesday, August 26, Pompeo met with Omani Sultan Haitham bin Tarik Al Said on the importance of building regional peace, stability, and prosperity through a united Gulf Cooperation Council. Grateful for our strong security partnership and economic ties.
Qatar: On September 2, Sheik Tamim told Kushner that Qatar remains committed to the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative, in which Arab nations offered Israel normalized ties in return for a statehood deal with the Palestinians and full Israeli withdrawal from territory captured in the 1967 Middle East war. – Jerusalem Post
Kuwait: In U.S.-friendly Kuwait, legislators are pushing through a law that would prohibit normalization and impose a boycott on Israeli goods. “Kuwait has not changed its position, and it will be the last country to normalize with Israel,” an unnamed government official was quoted as saying in the daily newspaper Al Qabas. – Reuters
Palestinians: The Palestinian Authority said that any normalization with Israel should be based on the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative on the principle of "land for peace" and not "peace for peace" as Israel calls. – Anadolu Agency
Egypt: On September 2, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi threw his support behind the burgeoning Israeli normalization deal with the United Arab Emirates and spoke against any efforts to annex portions of the West Bank, during a phone call Wednesday with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to Sky News Arabia – Jerusalem Post
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September 4 - September 11, 2020
Parallel challenges for Netanyahu and Trump
Benjamin Netanyahu has been facing enormous personal and political challenges since the Israel-UAE deal, a deal which I continue to favor in substance and purpose. However, it stopped extended sovereignty and elevated the Arab Peace Initiative as the plan of the hour. That is why, based on historical patterns documented in “Eye to Eye,” Netanyahu and President Trump continue seeing significant and disruptive political and personal challenges.
The headline today in the leftist Haaretz newspaper: “Israel’s COVID-19 Tragedy: How Hubris, Hasbara and Netanyahu Downed the Start-Up Nation.” There is no doubt the COVID-19 pandemic has cost Israel and the United States enormously and will continue to do so.
Netanyahu’s last seven days
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Jerusalem breaks 120-year heat record
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Heat wave causes power outages across Israel
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Settlement leaders feel betrayed by Netanyahu and call for his ouster
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Israel’s attorney general called to disqualify Netanyahu as Prime Minister during legal challenges
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The COVID-19 crisis has exploded
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Israel’s coronavirus czar: The High Holy Days terrify me
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1.3 million Israelis locked down as curfew kicks off in virus hotspots
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Israel's coronavirus czar Gamzu: Coronavirus infection rates in red cities among highest in world
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Israel hits new high with over 3,400 infections in a day, as curfew snarl persists
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Full lockdown beginning Rosh Hashanah night and encompassing Yom Kippur
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Lockdown rebellion: Business heads warn Netanyahu of disaster, threaten defiance
Trump’s last seven days
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Kushner: Our plan is a bid to save two-state solution; Israel was eating up the land
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Kushner says Saudi Arabia, Bahrain to allow all Israeli flights to use airspace and that Saudi airlines could fly over Israeli airspace
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Buffer to Kushner optimism: Saudi Arabia favors comprehensive solution to Israel-Palestinian conflict, no mention of Israel-UAE deal
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Record heat in the Western United States continues
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Los Angeles County sets record temperature as scorching heat wave wallops Southern California; 121 in Woodland Hills
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California grid operator warns of rotating power outages in record heat wave
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Trump blamed once against for COVID-19 response
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500,000 flee from their homes in Oregon
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Trump bailing out of Iraq and Afghanistan while China and Russia are aggressively moving into positions of influence (articles below)
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Under the COVID-19 cover, the election integrity battlefield becomes more ominous by the week as Dems threaten to take the 2020 election results to court
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Mail-in ballot fraud concerns Republicans, who are hiring hundreds of attorneys to watch local races and go to court if necessary; it will probably grow into the thousands.
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The new accusatory spin from the media: Democrats may not trust the results of the election if Trump wins
On Thursday:
Washington Post: The D.C. area had six inches of rain and massive flooding in a few hours. This was at the time the Trump team was finalizing the Bahrain normalization agreement and then in his early afternoon press conference President Trump mentioned the possibility of another country normalizing relations.
The last time massive rain hit D.C. within a few hours was when Vice President Pence spoke to CUFI last July 9, 2019, on the future Trump peace deal (https://watch.org/eye-to-eye/vice-president-mike-pence-speaks-trump-administration-commitment-peace-process-and)
Today, the Jerusalem Post reported that Bahrain has joined the United Arab Emirates in striking an agreement to normalize relations with Israel, President Donald Trump said, a dramatic move aimed at easing tensions in the Middle East. Trump tweeted out the news after he spoke by phone to both Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the White House said.
Within four hours of President Trump's1:00 pm announcement at the White House with Vice President Pence and Jared Kushner each making comments, Tropical Depression 19 formed off the Florida coast. Early Saturday afternoon, TD-19 became Tropical Storm Sally and is expected to strengthen to Hurricane Sally Monday afternoon and come ashore Tuesday morning, near the time of the Trump's Israel-UAE-Bahrain "Abraham Accord" signing at the White House. The event is scheduled for 12:00 pm EDT.
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