WASHINGTON D.C. (WCMH) — At the White House on Tuesday, an historic agreement on Middle East peace was signed.
President Donald Trump watched as the leaders of Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates signed a deal normalizing their relations with Israel.
“The Arab League has uniformly opposed Israel on almost every issue and this is a break from that,” said David Friedman, U.S. ambassador to Israel.
Friedman also called the agreement historic.
“It’s not an overstatement,” he said. “It just doesn’t happen that often.”
The administration calls it a peace deal though there was no open conflict among the three countries. Friedman says it sets the stage for greater regional peace.
“I think it’s the beginning of the end of the Arab-Israeli conflict,” he said.
Despite millions of Americans still dealing with unemployment, a struggling economy and the coronavirus, the ambassador says this is an issue all Americans should care about.
“This makes Israel more prosperous, safer and more secure,” Friedman said.
Friedman says it also helps the U.S. reduce its footprint in the region.
“I think every American wants to see troops brought home to their families,” he said.
Kirsten Fontenrose, a former Trump administration staffer with the National Security Council, says the agreement also helps President Trump politically.