[Church:] Well, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain signed agreements normalizing relations with Israel on Tuesday. The move brings into the open relations that had been covert until now but doesn't resolve Israel's conflict with the Palestinians. The Abraham Accords were brokered by the Trump administration. President Trump is calling it the dawn of a new Middle East. Here's what his son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner had to say.
[Jared Kushner, Trump Senior Advisor:] I think we had a very good breakthrough. What's happened is in the Middle East, the deals have been so well received. That's what helped Bahrain go quickly. They saw how well the deal was received in the United Arab Emirates and throughout the Muslim world. The people in the region are tired of war, they're tired of conflict, they want to move forward.
[Church:] CNN's Sam Kiley is live from Abu Dhabi and Oren Liebermann joins us live from Jerusalem. Good to see you both. So, Sam, let's start with you. And of course, we heard from Jared Kushner there, but these countries aren't at war. So, what is the significance of all of this? And of course, the glaring omission of the Palestinians?
[Sam Kiley, Cnn Senior International Correspondent:] Kushner's words there, the people of the Middle East tired of war, tired of conflict, and he's right about that. The problem is the Bahrainis and Emiratis have never been at war or in conflict with the Jewish state. They have though over the last 40 years subscribed to, if you like, the Pan-Arab indeed, even more widely a wider Muslim world's desires to see an independent Palestine established next to Israel with its own ability to survive as a viable state. Now, what's interesting though, is in term of the domestic language, that's where really Kushner is addressing. They need to make this look like a peace deal so that they can win some domestic energy behind the November elections. But and this is an important but from the Emiratis and Bahraini perspective and arguably we're going to see other nations such as Oman and possibly even Saudi Arabia down the line normalizing relations with Israel. They are saying that they have remain completely committed to a two state solution. The Emirates have trumpeted the fact that this postpones almost indefinitely in their view a plan a plan by Israel to annex large sections of the West Bank, the Palestinian territories. And they also argue that this gives them influence with the Israelis. They have a voice where in the past they didn't have a voice. It gives them leverage. It gives them something to take away from the Israelis. Whatever that might be in terms of downgrading diplomatic relations or ending some kind of future commercial deals or whatever. The fact of the matter is the argument coming from the Emiratis in particular but also endorsed by the Bahrainis, is that it's better to talk. And also, assure Israel that it is no longer necessary for to it be a small paranoid nation. Arguing that it is surrounded by enemies. If you remove the enemies perhaps you might get a more benign dispensation for the Palestine's. And that's certainly something that Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday, Rosemary, was keen to stress. He kept talking about this circle of peace. Again, an unnecessary misnomer. But it is very extraordinary to hear the Israeli Prime Minister talk about how Israel no longer feels feel isolated in the Middle East. That is a step change Rosemary.
[Church:] Right, and Oren Liebermann, let's go to you in Jerusalem. Talk to us about what's being said about this across Israel, and of course, what the Palestinians are saying.
[Oren Liebermann, Cnn Correspondent:] Well, these are agreements that are welcomed across Israeli society pretty much. We saw the Bahraini flag, the Emirate flag not only on the walls of the old city of Jerusalem but also in Tel Aviv. Those flags as well flying above the Foreign Ministry, not very far from where we were sitting right now. So, this was truly celebrated in Israel. And you see it reflected in the newspapers with the headlines that's all about what we saw at the White House yesterday. This, for example, Salam Alaikum, is in Hebrew, but that is specifically in Arabic saying, "peace be upon you." And the entire newspapers are full of articles like this. So, it is being celebrated here. Of course, a lot of these are also talking about what was not at the White House and what's a problem domestically for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and that is the surging coronavirus cases. The Health Minister who was on CNN last night, said that Netanyahu would be wearing a mask and there would be an attempt at social distancing. Neither of those happened and that will quickly overshadow what was very much a celebratory day for Israel and Netanyahu at the White House because of how bad it is with a record set as Netanyahu was at the White House. And that is the competing narrative here. Almost every front page makes at least some message of the coronavirus cases here and the impending closure. As for the Palestinians they remain furious about this. Accusing both the Bahrainis and the Emirates of betraying them, betraying Jerusalem and betraying Al-Aqsa. We saw that anger pouring over when Gaza militants fired a total of 15 rockets last night and overnight at southern Israel. Notably they fired the first of those rockets as the Emirate Foreign Minister was beginning to speak. So, that anger although generally pointed at Israel, also very much pointed at the Arab states they see as having betrayed them at this point. So, there is nothing about the Palestinian position at this point that is happy about what's happening here but is even trying to accept what's happening here. But it does put them in a very difficult position, and you see the Emirate and the Bahraini, the statements there that we're getting from them, urging them to if they're not going to come to table with the Trump administration, at least consider shifting their position as been absolutely against what's happening here.
[Church:] All right. Many thanks to Oren Liebermann and just before him Sam Kiley. Appreciate it. Well, coming up next on CNN NEWSROOM, U.S. President Donald Trump is defensive about his handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Now a new survey of how he's viewed around the world is not likely to please him. Back with that in just a moment.