“Peace is something everybody should celebrate and see as a positive thing for the world,” Berkowitz said in an interview. The administration has been racing against the clock to secure normalisation deals for Israel, in an effort to help Trump secure re-election in November. For allies in the Middle East, it is a chance to close ranks on Iran more overtly. The flight carrying the Israeli delegation flew over Saudi Arabia, an accommodation by the Gulf’s powerhouse, which has so far resisted appeals to normalise ties with Israel. Berkowitz, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and other officials will travel on Monday to the UAE, where the accord with Israel has opened up bilateral commerce.

Source: Hindustan Times October 19, 2020 04:50 UTC