the devil as always is in the details, of course. we'll see what this deal is actually based on, and what it actually means.
I always like to follow the reactions to these things within Israel itself:
Israel
Prime Minister Netanyahu said there was "no change" to his plans to annex parts of the West Bank if it was approved by the US, but added they were on temporary hold.
[31] Before the agreement, the plan to
annex 30% of the West Bank were already on hold due to a majority of Israelis and the government coalition partner
Benny Gantz rejected the plan. Hundreds of thousands of Israeli settlers live in the areas, in addition to Palestinians, which were under Israeli control in practice.
[32]
Gantz thanked Trump, Netanyahu and
Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan for making the peace deal happen, saying it showed an alliance between Middle Eastern nations that wanted stability and mutual cooperation. It also showed Israel's eternal desire for peace with neighboring countries per him, while also enhancing Israel's image on world stage and creating a better future for the region.
[33] Netanyahu when questioned by reporters, admitted to keeping the negotiations with the UAE a secret from
Blue and White due to the United States requesting him to do so.
[34]
Foreign minister Gabi Ashkenazi said the deal would pave the way for peace agreements with other nations and welcomed the suspension of unilateral annexation.
Yesh Atid's chairman
Yair Lapid welcomed the agreement as an "important step" for normalization with the UAE and said it showed mutual agreements are the path to be followed for Israel's relations with other nations, instead of unilateral steps like annexation.
Israeli Labor Party leader
Amir Peretz, too, shared the view and said Israel's development as well as safety lay in such agreements. He hoped for a similar agreement with Palestinians.
[35]
Yamina's
Naftali Bennett welcomed the deal but said it came at the cost of annexation which was tragic. His fellow
MK Bezalel Smotrich dismissed the deal as insignificant and criticized Netanyahu for reviving prospect of a two-sate solution.
Likud MK and Netanyahu's chief rival in the party,
Gideon Sa'ar, welcomed the deal but expressed that he will be more joyous with the annexation. Likud MKs
Miri Regev and
Yuli Edelstein meanwhile opposed the deal because of suspension of annexation.
[35]
Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality Mayor
Ron Huldai, congratulated Netanyahu on the "double achievement" of peace with the UAE and shelving of plans to annex parts of the West Bank.
[36] Huldai also lit up the
Tel Aviv City Hall with the
flag of the UAE.
[37]
The head of the Israeli settler group
Yesha Council,
David Elhayani [
he], accused Netanyahu of "betraying" some of his most loyal supporters and having "deceived half a million residents of the area and hundreds of thousands of voters."
Oded Revivi [
he], the mayor of
Efrat, a settlement of more than 9,000 residents south of Jerusalem, supported Netanyahu, arguing that "the Israeli agreement to postpone the application of Israeli law in the Jewish settlements in Judea and Samaria is a fair price [to pay]", and added it might change how settlements are viewed.
[38] Beit El settlement's mayor
Shai Alon [
he] and
Shomron Regional Council chairman
Yossi Dagan also criticized the deal.
[35]