Skip to content

News

Tony Blair: Statement on Abraham Accord signing ceremony


Statement15th September 2020

Statement from Tony Blair following his attendance at the White House ceremony where representatives from Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain signed an agreement to normalise relations:

“For many years I and my Institute team have worked on deepening relationships between Israel and the Arab world. I had long come to the conclusion that if we want to see a fair resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian issue on the basis of two states, there had to be a complete reversal of the idea that the Arab world should refuse contact with Israel, until a peace agreement was made.

“In addition, it was obvious as the Middle East sought a way forward to modern societies based on religious and cultural tolerance and co-existence, and modern economies based on diversification, the embrace of technology and high standards of education, Israel and the Arab nations like the UAE had a huge amount to gain by working together.

“These landmark agreements therefore are important in their own right; but are also a massive and welcome opportunity to recast the politics of the region in a way consistent with the only future for the Middle East which works.

“I know and understand the objections of the Palestinian leadership to what has been agreed. But I believe in time the Palestinian people will understand that it is only by radically changing strategy that the legitimate aspirations for a viable Palestinian State can be realised.”

Article Tags


Newsletter

Practical Solutions
Radical Ideas
Practical Solutions
Radical Ideas
Practical Solutions
Radical Ideas
Practical Solutions
Radical Ideas
Radical Ideas
Practical Solutions
Radical Ideas
Practical Solutions
Radical Ideas
Practical Solutions
Radical Ideas
Practical Solutions