Donald Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner oversees MoU enhancing UAE, Israel normalisation

Donald Trump’s son-in-law and former advisor Jared Kushner was in the UAE on Wednesday to witness the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between two organisations that advocate normalisation between Arab states and Israel.

The leaders of US-based organisation Abraham Accords Peace Institute (AAPI) and UAE-based Sharaka signed an MoU at the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi.

Signatories include Robert Greenway, Executive Director and President of the AAPI, and Amit Deri, the Israeli co-founder and CEO of Sharaka.

Emirati co-founder of Sharaka, Majid Al-Sarrah, attended but did not sign the MoU. He was accompanied by high-level Emirati officials.

"It's touching for me to see how it has expanded and touching so many people here in the region", Kushner said, adding that the UAE and Israel have "a vary natural relationship"

The normalisation deal signed between the UAE and Israel in 2020 was widely condemned in the Arab world for ignoring the occupation of Palestinian territories by Israel. 

Honored to sign MOU cooperation w @Peace_Accords led by @jaredkushner & @RC_Greenway - people of vision and leadership. We were represented by co-founders @amitd441 @DrAlsarrah & by @Najat_AlSaeed @Fatemaal7rbi Thank you @ekitbi for honoring us. @fredman_a @lightstonea pic.twitter.com/gAzTNAPOZW

— Sharaka - شراكة (@sharakango) December 8, 2021

Robert Greenway told UAE daily Khaleej Times that the two organisations were working hard to expand normalisation with Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco also establishing ties with Israel last year.

"The Abraham Accords were built on a vision of people-to-people peace between Israel and the nations of the region. Sharaka is playing a very important role in making that vision a reality and we want to work with organisations that are incredibly effective at doing it and help the best we can", he said.

"The goal is to develop relationships and that will result in all kinds of productive things and make sure the peace established really endures."

Dubbed the Abraham Accords, Israel's normalisation deals with four Arab countries were slammed by Palestinians as a betrayal of their cause, rewarding Israel while it continues to occupy the West Bank and besiege the Gaza Strip.

Opinion polls showed that the overwhelming majority of respondents in the Arab world were opposed to them.

Israel already signed peace deals with Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994.