Kushner says another Arab country may open relations with Israel

“Things are happening that I can’t talk about,” Kushner said, refusing to name the country.

By David Isaac, World Israel News

Trump senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner said another country besides the United Arab Emirates might open diplomatic ties with Israel, though he wouldn’t name which one. He made his remarks following the historic announcement on Thursday.

“There is a good chance that another country could make a deal with Israel in the coming days,” Kushner said at the White House.

“Things are happening that I can’t talk about,” he said.

Kushner stood at Trump’s side when the president made the announcement that the UAE and Israel would normalize relations. The two countries had a long period of quasi-secret ties.

“Now that the ice has been broken I expect more Arab and Muslim countries will follow the United Arab Emirates,” Trump said at the Oval Office.

In a joint statement, the U.S., UAE and Israel said delegations would meet in the coming weeks to sign deals on direct flights, security, telecommunications, energy, tourism and health care.

“Opening direct ties between two of the Middle East’s most dynamic societies and advanced economics will transform the region by spurring economic growth, enhancing technological innovation and forging closer people-to-people relations,” the statement said.

The only Arab country to publicly applaud the agreement was Egypt.

“I read with interest and great appreciation the joint statement between the United States, the brotherly United Arab Emirates and Israel concerning the halt of Israel’s annexation of Palestinian land,” Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi tweeted on Thursday.

However, Israel’s Channel 11 reports that a prince in the Saudi royal family said that Saudi Arabia views the agreement favorably.

Israel has diplomatic relations with only two Arab countries, Egypt and Jordan.

AP contributed to this report. 

Israel-Arab relationsJared KushnerUAE