Blinken stumps for Abraham Accords while in Algeria

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is asked about the absence of Algeria at the Negev summit earlier this week during a press conference at the end of his visit to the North African nation and uses the opportunity to highlight the benefits of joining the Abraham Accords for countries who have not yet joined.

He acknowledges that normalizing relations with Israel is a decision that each country has to make on its own, while adding that the Negev summit provided the latest example of what they have to gain.

“This is going to have real, practical benefits for the people in the countries participating in that effort who have normalized their relations with Israel,” Blinken said. “We’re seeing that take life in terms of connections that have grown very rapidly between people, between businesses, between students, tourists… even [during] COVID.”

“My bet is that as other countries that are not part of that process see this take shape, they will conclude that this is something they want to be a part of… but, of course, it’s on us to demonstrate that it really works and that it produces results. I believe that it will,” he adds.