Netanyahu flies to Washington to sign deals on Israeli lockout | World News

Benjamin Netanyahu hopes to divert the attention of the Israeli people from the recent announcement Three-week lockout For a White House ceremony to formalize recent diplomatic developments with two Arab countries.

Hosted by his close ally Donald Trump, Netanyahu will sign deals with Bahrain on Tuesday. United Arab Emirates This will allow countries to establish open trade, direct flights and diplomatic relations when they are less than full peace agreements.

“We now have two historic peace agreements with two Arab countries, which were established in the same month,” Netanyahu told a cabinet meeting before leaving for the United States on Sunday. “We are on the threshold of a new era.”

Israel has previously only made peace agreements with Egypt and Jordan, and is seen as a materialization of the growing closeness between US brokerage announcements. Israel And some Arab countries, largely due to shared hostility to Iran. The Israeli media speculated that other countries, such as Morocco and Oman, could make deals. The plane that flew to Netanyahu DC was drawn with the word peace in Arabic, English and Hebrew.

However, recent deals have also been visually rejected. The Gulf monarchy has not yet fought Israel, The two had already established extensive informal relations.

Writing in the Israeli newspaper Harrett, which is harshly critical of Netanyahu, journalist Semi Shalev Said The country and its two Gulf partners “are coming out of hiding with the secret strategic ties they have maintained for years”.

Trump and Netanyahu “artificially heighten its importance Agreements Raising them to a level of historical progress to make themselves worse, to improve their opinion, and to draw attention away from the defeats against them. Corona virus, The war against the rule of law and attempts to destroy the democracy of their countries. This is a shameless campaign maneuver, everything. ”

For Palestinians under Israeli occupation, those who have long relied on Arab support in the freedom struggle Growth is also seen as a setback in their efforts to increase international pressure on Israel. Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtaye said Tuesday was a “black day” and “would be included in the Palestinian pain calendar.”

Meanwhile, in Israel, the Second locking notification Three weeks of closed businesses and restricting people to their homes have left the country reeling with fears that livelihoods could be devastated. Netanyahu, present In the investigation for corruption allegations He denies, has faced weekly protests, and has been raised by people who say he abused the epidemic.

Anger is mounting over whether the 70-year-old leader will reopen the country anytime sooner or later after the previous spring lockout. Right now, the country is in a deep recession and is facing restrictions that the Ministry of Finance estimates will cost 6.5 billion shekels (46 1.46 billion).

“It was Netanyahu who sent young people to hang out and drink after the success of the previous lockout,” Yehuda Sharoni wrote in the Mariv newspaper on Monday. “But if we put aside the issue of indictment, can the business community, which escaped the first lock, recover this time from the end of the lockout and stand back on its feet – or it’s a fatal blow.”

Netanyahu said Sunday night that hospitals were “raising the red flag” and needed to be locked out as infections were rising to 4,000 a day. A major concern in Israel on Monday morning, however, is whether the deadline remains open.

Director General of the Ministry of Health, Ceci Levy, speculated that it would facilitate nationwide locking when the daily corona virus infections drop to 1,000 a day, but acknowledged that the final criteria have not yet been set.

“We want to get 500 cases a day, but this time it’s clear it’s not going to happen,” Levy Conn told the broadcaster.

More than 3,100 people were diagnosed with the virus on Sunday.