Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a press conference this evening (Thursday, 13 August 200):

“Today we usher in a new era of peace between Israel and the Arab world.

“I just came from an historic virtual conference between myself, President Donald Trump and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed of the United Arab Emirates. Together we announced the establishment of a full and formal peace between Israel and the UAE, which includes the mutual opening of embassies, direct flights and many other bilateral agreements.

“This is the greatest advancement toward peace between Israel and the Arab world in the last 26 years and it marks the third formal peace between Israel and an Arab nation.

“In 1979, Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat signed the first peace treaty between Israel and Arab country. Fifteen years later, in 1994, Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin signed a peace treaty with King Hussein of Jordan.

“Today, I am honored to announce formal peace with the United Arab Emirates under President Khalifa bin Zayed and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed. I believe we will soon see more Arab countries join this expansing circle of peace.

“I want to thank President Trump for his critical help in brokering this historic accord. And I want to thank him for his revolutionary Vision for Peace plan, which is the most realistic and important formula for peace in the region. President Trump’s Middle East plan served as a basis for today’s historic peace announcement.

“Israel and the UAE are two of the the most advanced countries in the world. Together we will transform the region and forge an even better future for our people. A future of peace, security and prosperity

“I've always believed that we could establish peace with the Arab world and have been working toward that lofty goal for decades. In recent years, Israel under my leadership has made advancements in ties with such countries as Sudan, Oman, Bahrain and other nations in the Gulf. I have reason to be very optimistic that today’s announcement with the UAE will be followed by more Arab nations joining our region's circle of peace.

“Shalom aleichem...”​