Trump's landmark deal is the real key to peace in the Middle East
The Abraham Accords, brokered by President Trump in 2020, offer a far more reliable solution. They provide a new paradigm for peace between Israel and all of its neighbors, including the Palestinians.
President Donald Trump obviously deserves the Nobel Peace Prize for breaking with the failed Oslo peace process paradigm still sanctified by legacy media and a bipartisan community of foreign policy elites, and for building new bridges of mutually-beneficial cooperation between Israel and its Arab neighbors. Those truly interested in Middle East peace should work to expand the circle of regional normalization and integration. Doing so will not only advance tolerance, understanding and growth in the Middle East, but also provide a pathway towards a lasting solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict.
This would certainly surprise former Secretary of State John Kerry, who in 2016 declared that peace between Israel and the Arab world would be impossible in the absence of an agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. "There will be no separate peace between Israel and the Arab world," he declared. "No, no, no, and no."
The Abraham Accords revealed the fallacy of Kerry's claim.
The Accords between Israel, UAE, Bahrain and Morocco led to a surge of people-to-people cooperation in countless areas, from green hydrogen to advanced medicine, from wildlife preservation to water recycling, and from youth sports to interfaith dialogue. Trade, tourism and innovation cooperation quickly grew.
Even in the outbreak of war begun by Hamas's October 7, 2023 terror attack, trade continued to rise. Trade between Israel and the UAE grew by 10% in 2024 as compared to 2023, between Israel and Bahrain by 843%, and between Israel and Morocco by 40%.
Unfortunately, despite the historic processes led by President Trump, which led to four Arab countries joining the Abraham Accords in a matter of months, the Biden administration failed to expand the Accords, due in part to President Biden's continued adherence to the failed Kerry fallacy.
Nevertheless, despite the Biden administration's inability to add any additional countries, the prospect of expanded peace and cooperation was still seen as a grave threat to the Iranian regime and its terror proxies, including Hamas. This fear of Abraham Accords expansion was one of the motives behind Hamas decision to launch its attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
Twenty-one months since this terrorist massacre and the subsequent war, the Abraham Accords have endured. Diplomatic, strategic and trade ties between Israel and its Accords partners remain stable. 2025 saw the continuation of high-level diplomatic meetings, such as the repeated visits by Israel's foreign minister to Abu Dhabi, and the ratification of important bilateral agreements between Israel and its Accords partners.
In addition, the Abraham Accords have had a direct positive impact on the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza. Israel has worked closely with the UAE and Morocco on the delivery of such aid, coordination made possible due to the trust built between Israel and its Accords partners since 2020.
The return of President Trump to the White House has created renewed momentum towards regional cooperation and integration. The potential for regional peace is obvious to many of America's allies in the region. The benefits of such a peace could include not only those to be derived from bilateral relations with Israel and expanded ties with the United States, but those connected to groundbreaking multilateral initiatives such as the India-Middle East-Europe Corridor, and a Middle East Security Alliance.
The Palestinian Authority, for its part, stands at a crossroads. Its leader, Abbas, now in the 20th year of his first four-year term, oversees an Authority that continues to promote incitement, while failing to combat corruption or advance meaningful economic growth. In the coming post-Abbas era, the PA will need to decide: Does it embrace the Abraham Accords spirit of cooperation, dialogue and people-to-people peace? Or does it continue the rejectionism that has led it nowhere for the last 30 years, while keeping the radicalized Palestinian people dependent on international largesse?
Rather than attempting to delegitimize President Trump's achievement in advancing the Abraham Accords, all who claim to care about the Palestinians or Middle East peace should seek to strengthen these historic agreements, and encourage the Palestinians to reject the failures of the past. This is the path toward lasting peace and prosperity in the Middle East, in line with the vital interests of the United States.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
8 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Israel to allow vetted Palestinians to help with aid distribution
Israel will allow a limited number of approved Palestinian traders to facilitate aid via the private sector in a new mechanism to improve aid distribution in the embattled Gaza Strip, the government said on Tuesday. The measure follows a government decision to expand humanitarian aid, according to COGAT, the Israeli agency for the coordination of its activities in the Palestinian Territories. Israel has come under massive international criticism following the publication of numerous videos and images of starving Gazans and reports of dozens of deaths from hunger. The aim is to increase the amount of aid supplies for the population, prevent the Palestinian Islamist Hamas movement from looting the aid and reduce dependence on the United Nations and other international organizations, the agency said. Under the new mechanism, a limited number of Palestinian traders, who were selected and underwent security checks, have been approved, COGAT said. All deliveries to be strictly inspected The approved goods reportedly include staple foods, baby formula, fresh fruit and vegetables, and hygiene products. Payments are to be made exclusively via bank transfer under the supervision of a special monitoring system. All deliveries will be strictly inspected. Details on how the distribution will take place were not provided. According to the United Nations, a large portion of aid deliveries is already being looted amid the chaos following 22 months of war, either by hungry civilians or armed groups. The UN has warned of an impending famine, despite Israel allowing more aid deliveries for over a week. Solve the daily Crossword
CNBC
10 minutes ago
- CNBC
10-year Treasury yield climbs ahead of key services data
The 10-year Treasury yield inched higher as investors assessed developments related to U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff rates and looked toward data on July's services sector activity, slated for release later in the day. The benchmark 10-year note yield was over one basis point higher at 4.21% as of 4.15 a.m. ET, while the 30-year bond was less than one basis point higher at 4.801%. The 2-year Treasury note yield also climbed over 2 basis points to 3.702%. One basis point is equal to 0.01% and yields and prices move in opposite directions. The U.S. is expected to release the ISM non-manufacturing purchasing managers' index. Analysts polled by Reuters see the figure coming in at 51.5, up from 50.8 the previous month. Trump on Monday threatened to "substantially" increase tariffs on Indian goods, though he did not specify by how much. Last week, he floated a 25% levy and an additional "penalty" if India continues buying Russian oil. India pushed back against criticism from the U.S. and European Union over its purchases of Russian oil, saying it was being "targeted" unfairly after Trump warned of sharply higher tariffs. In a statement issued late Monday, India's Foreign Ministry said it only began buying oil from Russia after "traditional supplies" were redirected to Europe in the wake of the 2022 Russia-Ukraine war. "It is revealing that the very nations criticizing India are themselves indulging in trade with Russia. Unlike our case, such trade is not even a vital national compulsion [for them]," the ministry added, taking aim at the EU and U.S.
Newsweek
10 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Map Shows How Donald Trump's Approval Rating Has Changed in States He Lost
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. President Donald Trump's approval rating is negative in all of the states he lost in the November election and his popularity has declined further in each one during his second administration. According to polling by Civiqs, which has compiled survey responses in all U.S. states throughout the president's term, Trump's approval rating is declining among those who did not vote for him in the last election, suggesting he is not winning over previous dissenters. Using this data, Newsweek has created a map showing the president's approval ratings in states he lost. Why It Matters Trump's popularity has fluctuated in the first six-plus months of his term in the Oval Office. In particular, some key policy issues, including tariffs and the administration's handling of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's case, have caused some voters to turn against the president. Securing votes from all states in the nation will be important when voters head to the midterms in November 2026, particularly in swing states where every vote matters. What To Know The state in which Trump's approval rating is the most positive among those he lost is Maine, where it sits at -18, though it was better in January, which showed -7 percent. Conversely, the state where he has the least support is Hawaii. In January, his approval rating there was net -43 but has since declined to -53 percent. In some states, his decline has been stark. His approval rating has declined from -19 to -30 in Connecticut, a drop of 11 percentage points. In Vermont, his rating has fallen by 10 percentage points. In New York and New Jersey, his approval rating has barely changed. He has dropped by just 1 percent in these states, meaning his approval rating there is -27 and -24, respectively. This comes after Newsweek analysis revealed that Trump's approval rating is positive in 18 of the states he won in the 2024 election, and negative in 13. National polls show that Trump's approval rating is generally underwater. A survey conducted by Quantus Insights from July 21 to July 23 among 1,123 registered voters showed his rating stands at 47 percent, while 50 percent disapprove. According to the YouGov polling for British newspaper The Times, the proportion of people who disapprove of Trump's job performance has increased from 52 percent in April to 57 percent in July. Other polls paint a more positive picture. One suggested the proportion of college-educated voters who approve of the president's job performance has increased since June. Another showed Trump gaining more traction with Hispanic voters, a crucial demographic that traditionally supports Democratic candidates. What People Are Saying Speaking to Newsweek previously, Mark Shanahan, who teaches U.S. politics at the University of Surrey in the U.K., said: "The GOP is now so wholly wrapped up in the president's fortunes that if he continues to poll so poorly over the next 16 months, it's bound to have an effect on Republican candidates' fortunes. Not releasing the Epstein files is playing very badly with the MAGA base - not least because when he was on the campaign trail, 47 said repeatedly that he would release them. Now, seemingly because he knows the content, he's distinctly more circumspect. The longer this saga rumbles on, the more it will nip at the heels of all GOP candidates. If Trump loses the trust of his base, it will mean trouble for his political acolytes. All they currently have going for them is that Democrats remain rudderless and in disarray." What Happens Next Trump's approval rating is likely to change throughout the remainder of his presidency. His popularity will be tested in earnest when voters head to the midterms in November 2026.
