Israeli parliament approves peace deal with UAE

Jerusalem, Oct 16 (IANS) Israel's parliament approved the normalization deal signed last month between Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).The peace agreement was approved in an 80-13 vote in a special session of the Knesset, or the parliament on Thursday, Xinhua news agency reported.During speeches ahead of the vote, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for peace with Lebanon, Israel's neighbor in the north. The two countries have recently launched US-brokered negotiations to end a long-time dispute over their maritime border."I call on the government of Lebanon to continue and complete these talks," Netanyahu said, adding that the move could "one day, in the future, lead to true peace."Israel and the UAE signed an agreement to normalize their relations in Washington on September 15. During the ceremony, a peace deal was also signed between Israel and Bahrain.The UAE and Bahrain became the first Gulf countries to agree to form official relations with Israel.Previously, two Arab countries, Egypt and Jordan, had signed peace agreements with Israel.
--IANS int/