SAN DIEGO – U.S. President Donald Trump is now engaged in two campaigns – one for reelection to the presidency, the other for the Nobel Peace Prize.
On Tuesday, Sept. 15, the same day that a ceremony was held at the White House in which President Trump was joined by ranking ministers of Israel, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates to sign peace agreements known as the “Abraham Accords,” the White House Press Office issued a news release titled “Bahrain-Israel Deal Shows Why Trump Deserves Nobel Peace Prize.”
It quoted from an article for Fox News by Rabbi Abraham Cooper of the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles, saying the establishment of peaceful relations between Israel and its Arab neighbors “took a big step forward” when Bahrain decided to join the United Arab Emirates in establishing diplomatic ties.
The White House press office went on to say, “After 72 years with only two peace deals involving Israel, President Trump has now helped complete two such agreements in just the past month.”
Joining President Trump for the trilingual signing ceremony in Hebrew, Arabic, and English were Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Foreign Ministers of Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, respectively Abdullah bin Rashid Al Zayani and Sheikh Abdulla bin Zayed al-Nahyan.
The Bahraini Foreign Minister commented “”For too long the Middle East has been set back by conflict and mistrust, causing untold destruction and thwarting the potential of generations of our best and brightest. Now, I’m convinced, we have the opportunity to change that.”
Netanyahu said the ceremony “heralds a new dawn of peace” and Trump commented, “We’re here to change the course of history. Together these agreements will serve as the foundation for a comprehensive peace across the region.”
Reactions to the signing ceremony were not long in coming:
Hadassah said it would move immediately to establish medical relationships with the two Arab nations. “On October 1, Dr. Uri Pollak, section head of pediatric critical care and the director of pediatric cardiac critical care at Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center in Jerusalem, will co-chair the first-ever Israel – UAE medical meeting on the future of pediatric cardiac critical care with Dr. Kesava Ramakrishnan, acting division chief of pediatric critical care at Sheikh Khalifa Medical City in Abu Dhabi,” announced Rhoda Smolow, Hadassah’s National President.
“They will be joined by internationally recognized experts from Children’s National Hospital, Texas Children’s Hospital, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, and John’s Hopkins. This meeting is the first of what we hope will be countless new connections made possible by the Abraham Accords that will improve life for people around the world.”
The Anti Defamation League messaged: ““In the midst of health, economic, environmental and political crises, we pause and celebrate the enormity of this historic moment of normalization between Israel and the UAE and Bahrain,” said ADL CEO Jonathan A. Greenblatt. “The deeply entrenched acrimony of the Israeli-Arab conflict made the thought of leaders of these three nations, standing publicly, alongside each other on the White House lawn, inconceivable and yet here we are.
“ADL applauds and thanks the leadership of the U.S., Israel, the UAE and Bahrain for making this day possible. ADL also extends our appreciation to the courage and leadership of Egypt and Jordan for their groundbreaking peace with Israel so many decades ago, setting the groundwork for today’s historic breakthrough, and hoping other neighboring states follow in their examples of outreach and peacemaking.
“The rockets fired from Gaza into Israeli cities during today’s historic event, which injured a number of people, are an unfortunate reminder of the ongoing challenges facing Israel from violent entities seeking its destruction and opposing any peace efforts between Israel and Arab nations,” Greenblatt continued. “Indeed, much work remains towards achieving a comprehensive Israeli-Arab peace, including a mutually negotiated two-state Israeli-Palestinian agreement. We hope to soon see a Middle East that broadly reflects today’s agreement rooted in security, stability, prosperity and dignity for all in the region.”
House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she needed to learn more information, specifically about whether as part of the deal the United Arab Emirates had been granted the ability to purchase advance U.S. F-35 aircraft, and what understandings had been reached concerning Israel’s freeze on annexation of any more portions of Judea and Samaria.
Christians United for Israel, headed by Pastor John Hagee, commented, “The historic agreements signed today show that peace is on the march and the so-called Arab- Israeli conflict is increasingly an anachronism. Israel is strong and flourishing, and the Arab world is coming to see the Jewish state not as a foe, but as an ally against Iran and a partner for peace and prosperity. It is my sincere hope and prayer that other Arab nations will follow the UAE and Bahrain’s lead and that the Palestinian leadership in particular will accept that peace with Israel is the only path forward.”
Americans for Peace Now President and CEO Hadar Susskind struck a cautionary note: “In and of itself, the trend of Israel’s normalizing relations with Arab states is a positive development,” she said. “But this is not happening in a vacuum. It’s happening at a time that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is under multiple indictments for corruption and bribery, at a time when tens of thousands are gathering in protest around the nation and calling for his removal. And most important, it’s happening at a time when his government continues to entrench the occupation and undermine even the hope of a two-state solution. Normalization with the UAE and Bahrain is great for the venture capitalists who will benefit from it, but does nothing to remedy Israel’s existential problem: its conflict with the Palestinians and the occupation that does so much damage.”
The American Jewish Congress President Jack Rosen messaged: “We thank Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed of the UAE and King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain for their leadership and determination to lead the way towards these tectonic shifts towards peace in the Middle East. We salute the American, Israeli, and Arab diplomats who were involved and skillfully contributed to finalizing the accords.”
Rosen added: “A few contrary voices called the agreements of Israel with the UAE and Bahrain a ‘betrayal’ to the Palestinian cause. That could not be further from the truth. Many years of failure showed the world that the corrupt Palestinian leadership exploited the conflict with Israel for personal gain on the back of the Palestinian people. Under the guise of a ‘peace process,’ the Palestinian leadership held Israel and Israeli-Arab relations hostage. But the shackles have finally been removed and UAE and Bahrain demonstrate how courageous and visionary leadership can bring real change towards peace.”
The Republican Jewish Coalition’s Executive Director Matt Brooks said the accords has positive implications beyond the Middle East.
“This is a truly historic occasion, and it would not have been possible without the tremendous efforts of President Donald Trump and his team,” Brooks said. “We commend the President for his dedication to true and lasting peace in the Middle East. The UAE-Israel treaty and the Bahrain-Israel treaty demonstrate that the countries of the region are moving toward real peace with Israel. After decades of failed diplomacy and bloodshed, the Middle East is at the dawn of a historic moment, when Israel and its neighbors will benefit from cooperation in trade, security, technology, and other fields that will make life better for all the peoples of the region.
“We see these agreements as the start of a positive trend in international diplomacy. The recent Serbia-Kosovo agreement, also brokered by the Trump administration, which featured Kosovo, a Muslim-majority state, agreeing to normalize relations with Israel, was announced on the heels of the breakthrough between Israel and the UAE.”
Separately, meanwhile, the Combat Anti-Semitism Movement (CAM) announced that Valentina Leskaj, a former Albanian Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, had agreed to join the CAM advisory board, the first Muslim to do so.
Leskaj commented: “The disease of anti-Semitism is becoming increasingly prominent in countries across the world. It is not just a danger to Jews and Jewish communities. It is a threat to every decent society and therefore to people of all backgrounds, Muslim, Christian and beyond. Therefore, I have always been determined to fight against the scourge of anti-Semitism, wherever it is found. I am delighted to contribute to the important work being done by the Combat Anti-Semitism Movement and to join the distinguished names already on its Advisory Board.”
In San Diego, Simon Lonstein forwarded to friends “One Day” led by the Jewish singer Matisyahu in a convocation that included hundreds of Jews, Muslims and Christians in what might be construed as a fitting musical accompaniment to the peace deal. The video may be seen above.
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Donald H. Harrison is editor of San Diego Jewish World. He may be contacted via donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com
Simon Lonstein, mentioned in the article above, forwarded to San Diego Jewish World this letter of appreciation he received:
Thank you Simon for sharing the article from Donald Harrison,
Thank you! Donald Harrison for recognizing the importance of this day! Peace in the middle east , starts with the Abraham Accords Peace Agreement. This is the first step to peace.
Thank You! president Trump for doing something that 5 presidents in the pass only talked about, and did nothing. It took a man of God (Yes a man of God)to understand the need for peace. And the importance of Israel, and Gods chosen people. Amen Bernie Tomsovic
Credit for these Accords should go two Israelis, Meir Ben Shabbat and Israel Katz, who worked tirelessly behind the scenes for years, to make this a reality. Even the Nobel Prize! The White House was only the window dressing!
Thank you so much, Don Harrison, for this article. What a great celebration and a great way to begin the New Year!