"Negev Forum" document: cooperation in the region could help renew the peace process with the Palestinians - voila! news

On video: Statements by the Foreign Ministers at the Negev Summit (Photo: L.A.M.)

The document of principles of the "Negev Forum" published yesterday at the end of a two-day meeting in Abu Dhabi states that the regional cooperation between the member states of the forum can be used to pave the way for the renewal of the political process between Israel and the Palestinians.

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why is it important

• A year after the Negev Conference, senior Israeli and American officials admit that the Arab countries that are members of the "Negev Forum" cannot ignore the Palestinian issue, even if some of them are not interested in dealing with its political aspects.

• The principles that appear in the founding document of the "Negev Forum" were adopted by the previous government in Israel, which held more moderate positions on the Palestinian issue.

  The new government in Israel is promoting a more hawkish policy on the issue.

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To the full article

The plastic issue cannot be ignored, the Negev Forum (photo: screenshot, GAM)

In the news center

• At the beginning of the week, approximately 150 diplomats and senior officials from the six countries that make up the Negev Forum - Israel, the United States, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Egypt - gathered for two days in Abu Dhabi.

• The senior adviser to American Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, Derek Shula, who headed the American delegation to the "Negev Forum" conference in Abu Dhabi, said in a press briefing that this was Israel's largest meeting with its Arab neighbors since the Madrid Conference in 1991.

• This was also the first time that all six working groups established as part of the "Negev Forum" convened to discuss issues such as food security and water technology, green energy, tourism, health, education and coexistence and regional security.

Behind the Scenes

• The founding document of the "Negev Forum" was adopted by the United States, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Egypt as early as November but was kept secret until the meeting held this week in Abu Dhabi.

• The document states that one of the goals of the Negev Forum is to develop and implement initiatives that strengthen the Palestinian economy and improve the quality of life of the Palestinian people.

• "The participants emphasize that it will be possible to harness their relations in order to create momentum in relations between Israel and the Palestinians and promote the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through negotiations and as part of efforts to achieve a comprehensive and just peace," the document reads.

• Several Arab countries that participated in this week's meeting wanted to mention the Palestinian issue also in the summary statement published by the Emirati latecomers, but this paragraph was finally deleted from the statement due to Israeli opposition, according to senior Israeli and American officials.

United States Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken (Photo: Reuters)

what are they saying

• Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Alon Oshfiz, who headed the Israeli delegation to the "Negev Forum" discussions this week, told Walla! that Arab countries want the Palestinians to also benefit from the regional projects that the "Negev Forum" will try to promote.

• "Our line was very clear and the instructions on this issue are very clear - the 'Negev Forum' deals with regional cooperation and projects designed to strengthen the integration between the participating countries and improve the lives of the people. We do not conduct a political discourse on the Israeli-Palestinian issue within the 'Negev Forum'" , said Osphiz.

• However, he added that when there is an improvement in people's lives, there can also be an improvement in the atmosphere between Israel and the Palestinians.

  "It is possible that when the 'Negev Forum' begins to expand, it will be a pool where the water is more comfortable and pleasant and it will be possible to enter it on the way to broader processes," he said.

The big picture

• The fact that the "Negev Forum" conference took place this week is not self-evident.

  The gathering took place when tensions in the region increased against the background of the visit of the Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gabir to the Temple Mount (Haram al-Sharif) and the condemnations published by many Arab countries.

• Oshfiz said that the importance of this week's meeting lies in the fact that it showed that the process is alive and kicking and not only behind the scenes but also in public.

  "The most important moment of the gathering was the first five minutes when 150 people from six countries stood together for a joint photo. But it was also important because it was an opportunity to inject fuel into the engine of this new regional mechanism," he said.

"We do not conduct a political discourse on the Israeli-Palestinian issue", Alon Oshfiz (photo: official website, Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

What next

• The diplomats who attended the meeting in Abu Dhabi returned to their capitals to hold consultations regarding the various projects that were discussed.

  In the coming weeks, virtual follow-up meetings of each of the working groups will be held to decide which projects will be presented to the foreign ministers.

• Senior Israeli and American officials said that a summit at the level of foreign ministers is expected to take place in Morocco by the end of March.

  "Our ministers will check whether we have done our homework and whether we propose practical projects, but will also set a future agenda for the Negev Forum," said Shula.

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