Denver- Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid cited Morocco among a handful of countries that assisted Israel ink a series of new agreements.
In an interview Tuesday, Lapid stated Morocco, Bahrain, the UAE, and the US all played a role in facilitating the agreements. While Lapid maintained the names of the countries in the agreements “cannot be disclosed” at the present time, he did mention the issues in Palestine were still on the political agenda for Israeli officials.
The US, UAE, Israel, and Morocco are among the signatories to the Abraham Accords implemented late last year. The accords were a historic step in Arab-Israeli relations, and have drawn the countries closer together as allies within the MENA region.
During his talk, Lapid discussed new Israeli initiatives to support the Jewish diaspora. “The most important relationship of Israel is with Diaspora Jews – neglected for a long time- but currently, we intend to expand and deepen the dialogue with them,” he affirmed.
Lapid criticized the previous Israeli administration under Benjamin Netanyahu for failing to support Jewish communities around the world. He stated he was “surprised” to hear the lack of Israeli support for Jews from the previous government, in favor of “other communities in the United States.”
Last week, Lapid made history as the first Israeli minister to visit Bahrain, where he attended talks with Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, as well as Admiral Brad Cooper of the US 5th fleet. During his talks with Admiral Cooper, Lapid highlighted the US’ continued commitment and “firm stance” on defending international security through its global military presence.
Israeli diplomats have been shoring up regional and international allies in recent weeks, in response to growing belligerence from regional rival Iran. During a meeting Tuesday between US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and his Israeli counterpart Eyal Hulata, Sullivan relayed US President Biden’s stance that diplomacy remained the best way to find peace with Iran, however the US is “prepared to turn to other options” if diplomatic efforts with Tehran fail.
