US officials: Israel, UAE to sign deal at White House on September 15

Israel and the United Arab Emirates will sign a historic deal normalizing relations at a White House ceremony on September 15, US officials say.

The officials say senior delegations from both countries will likely be led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Emirati Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayad, the brother of the UAE crown prince. The officials, who are not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, say the ceremony will either be on the South Lawn, the Rose Garden or inside depending on weather.

The ceremony will come just a month after the agreement to establish full diplomatic relations was announced on August 13. The The historic deal delivered a key foreign policy victory to US President Donald Trump as he seeks reelection, and reflected a changing Middle East in which shared concerns about arch-enemy Iran have largely overtaken traditional Arab support for the Palestinians.

That announcement has been followed by the first direct commercial flight between the countries, the establishment of telephone links and commitments to cooperate in numerous areas.

— AP

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