In September 2020, President Donald Trump hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed al Nahyan and Bahrain Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani at the White House for an official ceremony and signing of the Abraham Accords. Townhall reported on the historic moment, which took place on the South Lawn.
"We're here this afternoon to change the course of history. After decades of division and conflict, we mark the dawn of a new Middle East," Trump said. "Today’s signing sets history on a new course and there will be more countries to follow these great leaders."
The #AbrahamAccords are signed in English, Hebrew and Arabic pic.twitter.com/qiBYcmI5qV
— Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) September 15, 2020
“On my first foreign trip as President, I had the honor of addressing the leaders of more than 54 Arab and Muslim nations in Saudi Arabia. My message that day was very simple: I urged the nations of the Middle East to set aside their differences, unite against the common enemy of civilization, and work together toward the noble aims of security and prosperity," Trump continued. "Today the world sees that they’re choosing cooperation over conflict, friendship over enmity, prosperity over poverty, and hope over despair. They are choosing a future in which Arabs and Israelis, Muslims, Jews, and Christians can live together, pray together, and dream together side-by-side in harmony, community, and peace.”
Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain will establish embassies, exchange ambassadors, and begin to work together as partners.
— The White House 45 Archived (@WhiteHouse45) September 15, 2020
"They are friends." pic.twitter.com/abXBd9tGl6
Four years later and as President-elect, Trump plans to continue normalization in the Middle East. His nominee for U.S. Ambassador to Israel, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, gave a preview this week:
U.S. Ambassador to Israel nominee Mike Huckabee: "There's a lot to be done to expand the Abraham Accords and bring more of the Arab nations into that pact. That's going to be one of the major goals." pic.twitter.com/UXvWdrRFLp
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) November 18, 2024