Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday promised that “many, many more countries” would be signing normalization agreements with Israel “a lot sooner than people expect,” and lauded the Trump administration for consistently “defending the truth and defending the State of Israel.”
His remarks to visiting U.S. Ambassador to the UN Kelly Craft came two days after Israel and Morocco signed their first accords towards full diplomatic ties.
“President Trump and his team have done wonders to dispel so many of the myths and slanders against the Jewish people and the Jewish state and we are eternally grateful for that,” he told Craft, referring to the Trump administration’s efforts in fighting the anti-Israel bias at the United Nations.
Craft’s Israeli counterpart, Gilad Erdan, who accompanied the American envoy on her visit to Israel, said: “You were instrumental in triggering the snapback mechanism against Iran to ensure that critical sanctions remain in place. You truly understand that a nuclear Iran is an existential threat, not only to Israel but to the entire world.”
PM Netanyahu: "That dream is being realized today, thanks to many of your efforts and the efforts of the @realDonaldTrump administration and their defense of Israel, of truth and of genuine peace. " pic.twitter.com/sYT4KpUHch
— PM of Israel (@IsraeliPM) December 24, 2020
Netanyahu went on to say that the normalization deals with Arab countries, which have so far been signed with the UAE, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco, would present “great opportunities” for Israel at the UN.
“You can see the Arab countries, some have already come forward, others are coming forward… I think we should continue that policy and we’re going to see many, many more countries, a lot more than people expect and perhaps a lot sooner than people expect,” he said.
PM Netanyahu: "President @realDonaldTrump and his team have done wonders to dispel so many of the myths and slanders against the Jewish people and the Jewish state and we are eternally grateful for that. We think there are great opportunities.
— PM of Israel (@IsraeliPM) December 24, 2020
Indonesia looks to be a top contender for the next country to sign a deal with Israel. According to a senior Trump administration official, the U.S. had offered Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim nation, up to $2 billion in US aid in return for recognizing Israel.
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