Supervisor Elham AbolFateh
Editor in Chief Mohamed Wadie

Friedman: Biden Risks Normalization Agreements between Israel, Arab Countries  


Sat 23 Jan 2021 | 09:51 PM
Ahmed Moamar

David Friedman, the former US ambassador to Israel said that any decision by President Joe Biden to cancel sanctions and rapprochement with Iran, would risk the recent normalization agreements between Israel and Arab countries.

He claimed, in an interview with "Israel Today" an Israeli English-spoken newspaper that "the agreements signed with the UAE, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco are extremely important for regional stability."

Friedman expressed his belief that these "agreements have the power to change the Middle East within the next hundred years."

He added, "It is still early days, given that the agreements are new and their importance should not be underestimated."

He pointed out, "It is clear that the greatest danger facing these agreements is the empowerment of Iran.

He warned that Iran seeks to remove the United States as a reliable player in this region, and this is very dangerous.

The outgoing  American ambassador emphasized that "if the United States were to re-empower Iran, Washington would not be in a position to move forward with these agreements because it would lose its credibility.

Friedman went on to say if the Biden administration will give the Iranians a way to acquire a nuclear weapon, it will threaten America's credibility in this region.

He recommends Biden to let sanctions against Iran in place and not to try to make a deal with Tehran.

"But if the US has to make a deal with Iran,  then let us be sure that there is no chance of Tehran acquiring nuclear weapons", he said.

Friedman commented on the appointments of President-elect Joe Biden by saying that "the team of Iran under Barak Obama is back together again,"

He indicated that the prominent appointments in the foreign policy of President Joe Biden are a cause for concern when it comes to the Iranian nuclear threat.

He touched upon the next US administration, saying: "He is concerned about one thing in particular, Iran."