Israeli, US Diplomats Discuss Negev Forum In Washington
Director of Policy Planning Department at the UAE Foreign Ministry Abdulrahman Ali Alneyadi, US Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Yael Lempert, Director-general at Israels Ministry of Foreign Affairs Alon Ushpiz, Undersecretary for international affairs at the Bahrain Foreign Ministry Sheikh Abdulla bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, Director-general of political affairs at Morocco's foreign ministry Ambassador Fouad Yazourh, and Deputy-assistant Foreign Minister for Egypt Ministers Office Affairs Mohamed Tharwat hold a joint press conference for the Negev Forum first Steering Committee meeting in the town of Zallaq, south of the Bahraini capital Manama on June 27, 2022. Photo by Mazen Mahdi/Getty Images
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U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman met in Washington on Wednesday with Ronen Levi, the director-general of Israel’s Foreign Ministry. During the meeting, which was closed to the press, the two diplomats discussed “a range of global issues, including opportunities to advance regional integration through the Negev Forum, recent developments in Sudan and Russia’s aggression in Ukraine,” according to State Department spokesman Matthew Miller.
The Negev Forum was founded at the Negev Summit in Kibbutz Sde Boker on March 2022 as part of the implementation process of the Abraham Accords. Six working groups were established, to serve as a framework for increasing regional diplomatic and economic cooperation. However, Israeli media reported on Monday that the United States has conveyed to Jerusalem a request by the other forum participants to change its name to something “less Israeli.”

According to Channel 13, the countries making the request claim that a more general name will make it easier for additional countries to join. Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid on Monday blasted the idea, stating that for Israel to accede to it would indicate that the current government “doesn’t understand what national pride is.”
During Wednesday’s meeting Sherman reaffirmed Washington’s “ironclad support for Israel’s security and commitment to continued cooperation,” according to the State Department. She also stressed the importance to Washington of “the Palestinian Authority taking additional steps to stabilize the situation in the West Bank” and its resolve to “remain engaged with Israel, the Palestinians and regional partners to promote calm in the months ahead, building upon the recent ceasefire in Israel and Gaza.”
Produced in association with Jewish News Syndicate
(Additional reporting provided by JNS Reporter)
Edited by Saba Fatima and Newsdesk Manager
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