Washington, D.C. —In response to today's announcement that Israel and the United Arab Emirates had reached a diplomatic agreement, Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) released the following statement:

"The newly announced normalization agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates is a positive development for Israel and the Middle East as a region and is to be commended.  And while I am relieved that the agreement contains a delay in the proposed unilateral annexation of the West Bank, the mere idea of annexing territory unilaterally points squarely to a lack of commitment to attaining a peaceful solution and should never have been an option on the table in the first place. Therefore, a delay is insufficient. Annexation is a fundamental threat to a two-state solution negotiated directly by the parties and should be eliminated from any further consideration. I am hopeful this agreement will inspire continued progress on a viable, just and peaceful settlement that guarantees the safety, security, and humanity of Israelis and Palestinians alike."