David Friedman, the outgoing U.S. ambassador to Israel, expressed that any decision by President Joe Biden to lift sanctions and engage with Iran could jeopardize the recent normalization agreements between Israel and Arab nations.
In an interview with "Israel Hayom," Friedman noted that the agreements signed with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco are crucial for regional stability. He believes these agreements have the potential to reshape the Middle East over the next century. He pointed out that the greatest danger facing these agreements is empowering Iran, stating that this would remove the U.S. as a reliable player in the region, which would be very dangerous. He added that it is still early as these agreements are new and their importance should not be underestimated.
The U.S. ambassador explained that if the U.S. were to re-enable Iran, Washington would not be able to move forward with these agreements, as it would lose credibility. This would result in friction among all parties and push the momentum backward.
Friedman argued that it would be better to maintain sanctions on Iran, indicating that he would not oppose a deal with Iran as long as it does not possess nuclear weapons. He stated, "We would be in a much better position if we kept the sanctions against Iran. I am not suggesting that we shouldn't try to make a deal with Iran, but if we do make a deal, let's make sure there is no chance for Tehran to acquire nuclear weapons." He further noted that if the Biden administration grants the Iranians a path to nuclear capability, it would threaten America's credibility in the region.
The former U.S. representative in Israel expressed concern over prominent appointments in President-elect Biden's foreign policy regarding the Iranian nuclear threat, commenting on the new president's appointments by stating, "The Iran team is back together again."
It is noteworthy that the Trump administration withdrew from the nuclear agreement in 2018, which was signed by his predecessor Barack Obama (of whom Biden was the vice president), imposing a "maximum pressure" sanctions regime. Israel fears President Biden's intentions to return to the original agreement with Iran.
In related news, the Biden administration altered its definition of its ambassador to Israel on Twitter to include "Ambassador of the United States to Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza," before quickly reverting back. This step, whose motivations remain unclear, came about two hours after Biden was inaugurated as the President of the United States.
Former President Donald Trump moved the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in May 2017, a move that sparked widespread Palestinian anger, after he recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital in late 2017.
It is worth mentioning that Ambassador David Friedman, who ended his duties, was known for his pro-settlement positions and hardline stance toward Palestinians, and Washington has yet to announce his successor. The Israeli official channel "Kan" reported a spokesperson for the U.S. embassy in Israel as saying: "This is not a change in policy nor an indication of a future policy change." The channel added: "At the same time, Biden administration officials said in closed talks today that regarding Israeli-Palestinian relations and the administration's current policy, it is to prevent Netanyahu (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) from escalating the situation with the Palestinians."
