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| Israel hosting historic six-way US-Arab meeting | Israel hosting historic six-way US-Arab meeting |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| Israel's relations with Gulf states and Morocco have grown since they formed ties | Israel's relations with Gulf states and Morocco have grown since they formed ties |
| Foreign ministers from four Arab League countries, along with the US secretary of state, are holding an historic meeting in Israel. | Foreign ministers from four Arab League countries, along with the US secretary of state, are holding an historic meeting in Israel. |
| It is the first time the ministers from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Morocco and Bahrain will meet their Israeli counterpart in his home country. | It is the first time the ministers from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Morocco and Bahrain will meet their Israeli counterpart in his home country. |
| It comes after they normalised relations with Israel for the first time during the past year-and-a-half. | It comes after they normalised relations with Israel for the first time during the past year-and-a-half. |
| The foreign minister of Egypt is also joining the talks. | The foreign minister of Egypt is also joining the talks. |
| Egypt was the first Arab country to make peace with Israel, in 1979, though relations between them have often been cool. | Egypt was the first Arab country to make peace with Israel, in 1979, though relations between them have often been cool. |
| The six top diplomats are meeting on Sunday at a hotel in Sde Boker in the Negev desert in southern Israel and will hold talks on Monday. | The six top diplomats are meeting on Sunday at a hotel in Sde Boker in the Negev desert in southern Israel and will hold talks on Monday. |
| The meeting coincides with a tour of the region by US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken. | The meeting coincides with a tour of the region by US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken. |
| He is visiting Israel, the West Bank, Morocco and Algeria on a five-day trip for talks on issues including Russia's war on Ukraine, tensions with Iran and the Israel-Palestinian conflict. | He is visiting Israel, the West Bank, Morocco and Algeria on a five-day trip for talks on issues including Russia's war on Ukraine, tensions with Iran and the Israel-Palestinian conflict. |
| Mr Blinken is also meeting Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah. | |
| His meeting with Mr Bennett is taking place at a time of growing Israeli fears that the US is on the brink of signing a new agreement with Iran to curb its nuclear programme in return for an end to crippling US-led sanctions. | His meeting with Mr Bennett is taking place at a time of growing Israeli fears that the US is on the brink of signing a new agreement with Iran to curb its nuclear programme in return for an end to crippling US-led sanctions. |
| Former US President Donald Trump pulled out of a 2015 global nuclear deal with Iran and restored sanctions in a move which led Iran to significantly advance its nuclear activities which had been barred by the accord. | Former US President Donald Trump pulled out of a 2015 global nuclear deal with Iran and restored sanctions in a move which led Iran to significantly advance its nuclear activities which had been barred by the accord. |
| Israel plays peacemaker in Ukraine-Russia war | Israel plays peacemaker in Ukraine-Russia war |
| Five reasons why Israel's peace deals matter | Five reasons why Israel's peace deals matter |
| Israel says it believes a new deal will be weaker than the previous one and enable Iran to intensify its military activities across the region. | Israel says it believes a new deal will be weaker than the previous one and enable Iran to intensify its military activities across the region. |
| Israel also fears that the US might remove Iran's powerful Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) from its list of terrorist groups as part of a new nuclear deal. | Israel also fears that the US might remove Iran's powerful Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) from its list of terrorist groups as part of a new nuclear deal. |
| The IRGC, it says, has helped sustain the wars in Syria and Yemen and bolstered anti-Israel militant groups in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria. | The IRGC, it says, has helped sustain the wars in Syria and Yemen and bolstered anti-Israel militant groups in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria. |
| Mr Blinken has also taken a different approach to the Israel-Palestinian issue to Mr Bennett. He supports the idea of a Palestinian state alongside Israel, something resolutely rejected by the Israeli prime minister. | Mr Blinken has also taken a different approach to the Israel-Palestinian issue to Mr Bennett. He supports the idea of a Palestinian state alongside Israel, something resolutely rejected by the Israeli prime minister. |
| Talks will also focus on Russia's invasion of Ukraine, with Israel having taken a lead role as a mediator in the conflict. | Talks will also focus on Russia's invasion of Ukraine, with Israel having taken a lead role as a mediator in the conflict. |
| Israel has good relations with both Ukraine and Russia, and Mr Bennett has held several face-to-face meetings and telephone conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin as part of efforts to end the month-long war in Ukraine. | Israel has good relations with both Ukraine and Russia, and Mr Bennett has held several face-to-face meetings and telephone conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin as part of efforts to end the month-long war in Ukraine. |