Jordan, Turkey, UAE step closer to working with Israel on climate change: report

Jordan, Turkey and the UAE could all soon be cooperating with Israel on tackling the climate crisis after Israeli president Isaac Herzog broached the topic in recent meetings with leaders of the three countries.

Jordan's King Abdullah, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and new UAE leader Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed all agreed in the past few months to move ahead with Herzog's proposal of regional cooperation on climate change, Israeli news outlet Haaretz reported, citing sources from the president's residence.

Jordan, the UAE and Israel agreed last year to cooperate on tackling climate change, signing an agreement to work on renewable energy and water desalination projects.

The UAE and Israel normalised ties in 2020 after signing the US-brokered Abraham Accords. Israel and Jordan signed a peace accord in 1994.

After years of tension, Turkey has said recently that it is looking for a more sustainable relationship with Israel.

Herzog's visit to Turkey in March - a sign of efforts to strengthen ties - was met with protest from pro-Palestine groups, who said Ankara could not ignore Israel's illegal occupation of Palestinian land and its violations of the rights of Palestinians.

Before his visit to Turkey, Herzog said that discussions on the climate crisis would be on the agenda.

The Middle East is one of the world's most vulnerable regions to the effects of climate change, facing more severe droughts and desertification.

Herzog had also met with Greek, Cypriot, and Bahraini officials in recent months to discuss climate change cooperation, Haaretz reported. Bahrain and Israel also normalised their ties via the Abraham Accords in 2020.