UAE Foreign Minister Anwar Gargash calls on Arab states to open to Israel

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DUBAI, March 28 (Reuters) – Relations between Arab countries and Israel must be changed to make progress on peace with Palestinians, said UAE Foreign Minister Anwar Gargash, quoted by the newspaper. The National.

According to the newspaper, Gargash reportedly stated that the decision of many Arab countries not to dialogue with Israel to continue their efforts to reach a solution for decades.

"Several years ago, an Arab decision was made not to communicate with Israel, but in retrospect, it was a very bad decision," Gargash said in unusually candid comments.

"Because it is absolutely necessary to distinguish between having a political problem and keeping the lines of communication open," he said.

His comments came after the UAE and other Gulf countries had criticized US President Donald Trump's decision to recognize Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights strategic plateau, which he had seized. of Syria during the 1967 war in the Middle East.

It follows last month's visit by Trump's senior advisor and son-in-law, Jared Kouchner, to the Gulf Arab States, seeking support to bridge the economic divide resulting from the US proposal for peace among Israelis. and Palestinians. The Arab States of the Gulf welcome American forces and play an important role in Washington's defense policy in the region.

* Strategic transformation

Israel maintains official diplomatic relations with only two Arab states, Egypt and Jordan.

But an Israeli minister visited the Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi last year as Amman welcomed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on a surprise visit, the first of an Israeli prime minister in 22 years.

Israel considers Arab states as natural allies against Iran, which has influence in the region. But many people in the region refuse to follow in the footsteps of Jordan and Egypt because of the continuing Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territory.

Gargash said he expects increased contact between Arab countries and Israel through small bilateral agreements and visits to political leaders and sports delegations. Israeli athletes won gold medals at the judo competition in Abu Dhabi and played the Israeli national anthem.

"Strategic change really forces us to make progress on the peace front," Gargash said.

"If we continue with the current approach, I think the dialogue in 15 years will be about equal rights in a country," he said, referring to the possible integration of the Israeli and Palestinian regimes. instead of a Palestinian state alongside Israel.

He said the dialogue was on the sidelines for now, but that would change.

"The two-state solution will not be feasible because the existence of a dissolved Palestinian state will not be practical," he said.

(Prepared by Lilian Wajdi for publication in Arabic – edited by Munir al-Buwaiti)