US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived late at night at the Kibbutz Sde Boker for the summit after landing in Israel on Saturday night. Throughout Sunday, Blinken met with Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, President Isaac Herzog, Defense Minister Benny Gantz and other senior Israeli officials before traveling to Ramallah to meet with President of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas. The UAE’s Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Bahrain’s Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani, Morocco’s Nasser Bourita and Egypt’s Sameh Shoukry landed at Nevatim Air Base in southern Israel. Sukri, whose country was the first country to sign a peace agreement with Israel in 1979, joins the three Arab countries that signed US-mediated normalization agreements, known as the 2020 Abraham Accords. Get the Times of Israel Daily E-mail and never miss our top stories By registering, you agree to the terms From the air base, senior diplomats headed to the Isrotel Kedma Hotel in Sde Boker, where Lapid – who is hosting the two-day event – greeted them. An official close to Lapid told reporters that the top Israeli diplomat and Arab officials were discussing “promoting a regional security architecture.” Foreign Minister Yair Lapid (L) welcomes his Egyptian counterpart Minister Sameh Shoukri to Sde Boker in southern Israel on March 27, 2022, ahead of the Negev Summit. (Jack Guez / AFP) The alliance will face threats from “air, sea and piracy”, the official said in a statement. The official added that the meetings so far have been “very warm, including hugs and friendly talks”. The senior diplomats were to dine together at the hotel after Blinken’s arrival. Prior to their arrival, the public broadcaster Kan reported that Israel had increased its defense readiness in the southern part of the country amid concerns over air threats during the summit, with the Israeli Air Force dropping several planes into the air as well. the diplomats were landing. Although the report did not specify the nature of the threats, the use of aircraft could raise concerns about a possible drone strike to be intercepted by the planes. Israel’s first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, lived in Sde Boker and he and his wife, Paula, are buried there, overlooking the Zin Desert. Lapid wants to take his guests to visit the tomb, Kan said, although this has not been confirmed as part of the route. Foreign Minister Yair Lapid (L) welcomes his Bahraini counterpart Abdullatif bin Rashid al-Zayani to Sde Boker in southern Israel on March 27, 2022, ahead of the Negev Summit. (Jack Guez / AFP) The official said a visit would be made, but did not specify whether all the Arab ministers who will visit will attend. The summit, according to officials, will focus on regional threats, challenges and opportunities. Topics to be discussed at the talks include talks on Iran’s nuclear program in Vienna and the Russia-Ukraine war. The summit is also seen as a demonstration of diplomatic unity intended for Tehran. On Monday, the foreign ministers will hold bilateral working meetings and then make statements to the press. Channel 12 news reported on Sunday that Blinken said during his meetings with Israeli leaders that US President Joe Biden had not yet decided whether to remove the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a foreign terrorist organization as part of it. return to the Iran nuclear deal. According to the network, Blinken stressed that the United States will not return to the nuclear deal at any cost. The report said Blinken also called on Israel to step up its support for Ukraine, given the Russian invasion, including military assistance. Israel has so far provided only humanitarian aid to Kyiv, as the Jewish state tries to walk a tightrope to maintain good relations with both Ukraine and Russia. The rally is a “Lapid-led initiative,” a diplomatic source familiar with the preparations for the summit told the Times of Israel. “Obviously, the secretary [Blinken] “Being in Israel was the trigger.” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (L) walks up to Secretary of State Yair Lapid following a joint press conference at the State Department in Jerusalem on March 27, 2022. (Jacquelyn Martin / POOL / AFP) According to a Channel 13 report on Saturday, diplomats in the region are expected to beg the United States to show force in Iran, both in the nuclear arena and in its regional expansion and destabilization efforts. The report also said, without citing a source, that although Saudi Arabia does not participate in the conference in public – Riyadh has secret ties with Jerusalem but no open relations – it is heavily behind the scenes, as are the interests at stake. of the kingdom. Israel has made strengthening the Abraham Accords a top priority by scheduling regular diplomatic meetings with participating countries. The initial wishes to finalize the normalization agreement between Israel and Sudan were complicated by the military coup that led the country to a further crisis late last year. The foreign ministers’ meeting comes less than a week after Bennett traveled to the Sinai resort of Sharm el-Sheikh for the first tripartite summit with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and UAE successor Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed. another development that followed the signing of the Abrahamic Covenants. You are a devoted reader We’re really glad you read the X Times of Israel articles last month. 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