The Netherlands welcomes the peace agreement between the United Arab Emirates and Israel

The Netherlands welcomed the peace agreement between the United Arab Emirates and Israel, describing the normalization of relations between Israel and its neighbours in the region as very positive, and described Israel's suspension of its plans to annex parts of the West Bank as good news. Stef Blok, the Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs, expressed his gratitude for the decision of the United Arab Emirates and Israel to normalize diplomatic relations. He also expressed, in particular, his satisfaction with the agreement to suspend Israel’s planned annexation of Palestinian lands in the West Bank, noting that the Netherlands is looking forward to working for better relations between Israel and the Arab states and for peace for the Israelis and Palestinians through the two-state solution. Blok stated that for the sake of stability in the region, it is always good if countries consult with each other, indicating that there is still discussion about whether the matter is related to postponing or canceling the annexation process, but he believes that the annexation is inconsistent with international law and therefore it is good to make it part of the agreement. The peace agreement between the United Arab Emirates and Israel received great attention in the Dutch media, as they indicated that the United Arab Emirates and Israel reached a historic agreement, which should lead to full diplomatic relations indicating that the most important agreement concluded by the two countries is for Israel to temporarily stop annexing lands in the West Bank. The agreement was approved during a telephone conversation between former President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi noting that the UAE and Israel will benefit from cooperation in the fields of investment, tourism, direct flights, telephone connectivity, energy and the fight against Covid-19.