Excellent piece. It seems like much of the US has no idea the Abraham Accords ever happened. I am not Jewish but a proud Zionist and I agree that the terrorists must be destroyed. They do not want peace. When people tell you who they are, listen. I’ll share your article!
Bottom line is money. Great detailed article and may I add, American taxpayers have rolled billions into ‘Palestine’ for infrastructure, a huge joke, as it is an intentional dirty hovel, with international politicians treating their terrorist leaders as statesmen while the people are oppressed hate filled minions killing Israelis and demanding land that isn’t theirs. Their ‘leaders’ have huge bank accounts elsewhere and lounge around in Dubai or Paris. In truth it is a revolving door of money laundering and arming terrorists. The ‘Plight of the Poor Palestinian’ is a dying ruse wearing its last ragged PR stunt, Arafat neck scarf, because Trump knows money waste and political bullshit when he steps in it. The money to Israel’s enemies will stop and so will the terrorism. Am Israel Chai…hang on until January.
This essay gets so many things right, and hopefully a change in American leadership will lead to resumption of the Abraham Accord concept that peace with the Palestinians will come only after Israel makes peace with other Arab and Muslim nations. At some point this will result in Palestinian "resistance" as a failed concept and hopefully lead to a reduction if not an end to hostility. Fundamental to this is the end of UNRWA which promotes the concept and reality of maintaining Palestinian refugee status in perpetuity and passed down from generation to generation. For this to work Israel must remain a military power with the ability to defend itself from attack.
I have been trying to decide who is worst secretary of state ever, Kerry or Blinken. It's clearly Kerry. Blinken is a simmering fool. Kerry is outspokenly arrogant about his idiocy.
Fantastic essay and so on point about the Left and Progressives. Much of what the Trump administration did that was beneficial to Israel, Biden tried to undo, but the worst move he made was to lift sanctions off Iran and return their $6 billion. Then his "ironclad" support of Israel, which he said just a week ago, is to now put sanctions on Israel. As Robert Gates once said in 2014, "I think he (Biden) has been wrong on nearly every major foreign policy and national security issue over the past four decades,” and in a Washington Times article in 2021 by Cal Thomas, the headline read, "Biden has been wrong on every major foreign policy decision in last 4 decades." We have been witnessing this with his handling of Hamas, Iran, Ukraine and Russia, and Israel. In nine weeks, we may see a return to sanity and a stronger stance with our enemies. Kushner will not be a part of the Trump administration, but he will act as an adviser. Hopefully, he will resume his work to get more Middle East countries on board with the Abraham Accords, and Trump will work with Israel on finishing the war with Hamas and Hezbollah. None of this will happen quickly but we can now feel optimistic about moving forward.
There's a certain resemblance between the US foreign policy establishment's inability to get beyond the "two-state solution" and the Great War French and British generals' inability to get beyond the notion that with enough men and guns and shells, the Western Front trench stalemate could be broken. After every failed offensive with its appalling toll of killed and wounded soldiers, the generals demanded more of the same, confident that if they deluged enough high explosive on the German Army it would break. They were deaf to arguments that new weapons and tactics were needed to break the deadlock. In just the same way, the US State Department and people like John Kerry were deaf to suggestions that the intransigence of the Palestinians and Iran's emergence as a destabalizing regional power demanded a change of policy. Instead they clung to the discredited idea that the Palestinians could be enticed, and the Israelis bullied, into cutting a deal.
Yeah perhaps. The two state solution is a good idea in principle but you have to make sure the Palestinian state doesn’t become a terror state. No repeating the Gaza mistake. Big changes in Palestinian society would help. So would ironclad security guarantees. You would need a contingency plan. If they start firing rockets, Israel can go in and get them.
The Trump plan gave the IDF freedom of action in the Palestinian state. So it was more viable than the standard formulation.
Yes, if those things happened, there could be a two-state solution. But that seems highly unlikely to me. And for the foreseeable future, Israel will be most unwilling to take risks for peace, as the saying went, pre-0/7.
I was negotiating with a Muslim Jihad terrorist ( nr 2 in Kashmir, India/Pakistan border area ) . They are very fanatical and they are not in hurry. They want and want much , but they don’t give anything away what they have got . War is a deceit. That is clearly in Quran. They can make some deal , if they feel it suitable for their purposes. But when they find it is better to break the deal, they break it. They are thinking very differently than western countries and leaders. It takes time to get inside properly. I was negotiating more than half a year. We had very difficult conversations and finally we found out that we could NOT get any deal done . After these discussions I was hospitalised for many weeks, it took so much effort with my heart. I know many Muslims but I know they want Israel to disappear, it is clearly in Quran. This is the “ End of Days “ in Torah and Kabbalah we are living NOW. The Third Temple and the Kingdom of Israel ( Davidic Dynasty) are eternal and Sanhedrin will be also in the Third Temple on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem Very Soon Baruch HaShem. The final peace will come only after Shechinah is dwelling in the Third Temple on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem Very Soon Baruch HaShem.
This is the main problem. Western countries, their leaders, high-ranking officials of the security forces, diplomats, media and others do not take into account the difference in mentality. They look at everything completely differently. For example, they often negotiate not with the goal of achieving some result, but with completely different goals. Often, when negotiating, they demand and receive various concessions and advantages, and it is more profitable for them to receive them constantly, conducting eternal negotiations, than to get a result. They have different ideas about honor, law, truth. This does not mean that they are better or worse. It means that they are different, and if this is not taken into account, then it is like a blind man playing chess with a sighted man.
Most Americans have very little knowledge of Abraham accords bc it was Trump’s achievement at the end if his term and was not in the left leaning media at all bc it was embarrassing for ALL previous democrats like Clinton or Obama or Carter bc they got Nobels for it but actually failed! (Actually we still don’t know why Obama got it) Trump deserves the Nobel peace prize for not only achieving what others failed at for nearly 100 years but for proving that this agreements have longevity even at the time of major conflict and war between Arabs and Jews!!!
You wrote: "People talk about the fact that young people in the West are becoming more sympathetic to the Palestinians. While this is true, I believe there is a good chance that this conflict will be for all practical purposes over before that even matters."
Which "young people" are you referring to? Rich young people on Ivy League campuses. If the recent election shows us anything, it's that these people do not have the numbers to determine who sits in the White House and who determines foreign policy. They can scream through their masks all they want, but a majority of Americans will vote for common sense and national security.
Not clear to me how this conflict is getting any closer to being solved. The Abraham Accords were great news at the time but now the Saudis have explicitly said they won’t join until there’s a plan for a Palestinian state, which is pretty much Hamas’ objective in launching October 7. In the meantime Hamas and Hezbollah are no longer offensive threats to Israel but Lebanon and Gaza are chaotic hellholes lacking any government authority who could credibly assure peace, even if the people there wanted it.
You state this as if Biden/Harris continued with the Accords and somehow it petered out. Biden/Harris more or less abandoned work on the Accords on day one--you can't really blame anyone other than their administration for taking us two steps backward. They were the main reason Iran was emboldened, enriched and Hamas was funded. Iran and it's proxies knew that it could get the current administration to jerk Israel around especially before the election because they didn't want to offend their Dearborn, Michigan contingent. The Saudis respect strength and conviction (as any foreign leader would, but especially in the Middle East).
Biden was desperate to expand on Trump’s AAs to get normalization deal with the Saudis when Oct 7 happened and sent the whole region into a tailspin.
Yahya Sinwar was giving a fiery speeches at the 2018 Gaza march of return, in part a reaction to Trumps Jerusalem embassy move, swearing bloody vengeance on Israel that seems quite prescient in retrospect. The fuse to October 7 was lit under Trump.
A good article, but I am pessimistic about the Arab nations wanting to "move on". I see ME media and I know ordinary Arabs from various ME nations, and I don't believe there's good faith when Arab rulers are telling the West they want peace and stability for themselves and Israel. At home they are telling their very young populations that the destruction of Israel is coming, for the sake of Islam, and that it's only a matter of time. It's a long game. I'm sure those in charge in the USA for the next few years aren't naive, I just hope they don't congratulate themselves too soon on apparent agreements, because Israel's enemies are not going away.
I don't smoke. I'm not surprised that they protested. Worse than that was expected at the time which is why no other president was ballsy enough to do it. They have used every excuse in the book to claim the right of return since the "Nakba". What about funding the Ayatollah's? Are you ok with that? Does that seem like a good way to continue the AAs?
Allowing sovereign nation-states, like Iran, South Korea, Japan, European nations, etc. to engage in lawful, voluntary, mutually- benefical trade and commerce without interference from great powers has been a cornerstone of international relations for 400 years.
That the US “allowed” that to continue to the economic benefit of Iran, whatever one thinks of the Iranian government, is not the same as the US actively “funding” that government. That’s pure propaganda.
Regardless, lax vs tight US policy of economic sanctions on Iran has nothing to do with the Abraham Accords.
The fact that you see no difference between Iran and "South Korea, Japan, European nations, etc." is exactly the delusional mentality that cost the Democrats the White House, the Senate, and the Congress.
Most Americans don't live in your fairy tale, and when you attempt to impose it on us, it's those who can't afford to escape the consequences who suffer. We're done.
The frozen Iranian assets in question behind the “funding the mullahs” charge came from lawful commerce between Iran and each of those countries, particularly South Korea and Japan, not from the US Treasury as the charge misleadingly implies.
As you didn’t remember that, it’s doubtful American voters remembered the issue either on Election Day. Besides, Trump already sent Elon Musk to meet with Iranian officials, perhaps opening the possibility of similar deals with Iran.
Excellent piece. It seems like much of the US has no idea the Abraham Accords ever happened. I am not Jewish but a proud Zionist and I agree that the terrorists must be destroyed. They do not want peace. When people tell you who they are, listen. I’ll share your article!
Bottom line is money. Great detailed article and may I add, American taxpayers have rolled billions into ‘Palestine’ for infrastructure, a huge joke, as it is an intentional dirty hovel, with international politicians treating their terrorist leaders as statesmen while the people are oppressed hate filled minions killing Israelis and demanding land that isn’t theirs. Their ‘leaders’ have huge bank accounts elsewhere and lounge around in Dubai or Paris. In truth it is a revolving door of money laundering and arming terrorists. The ‘Plight of the Poor Palestinian’ is a dying ruse wearing its last ragged PR stunt, Arafat neck scarf, because Trump knows money waste and political bullshit when he steps in it. The money to Israel’s enemies will stop and so will the terrorism. Am Israel Chai…hang on until January.
This essay gets so many things right, and hopefully a change in American leadership will lead to resumption of the Abraham Accord concept that peace with the Palestinians will come only after Israel makes peace with other Arab and Muslim nations. At some point this will result in Palestinian "resistance" as a failed concept and hopefully lead to a reduction if not an end to hostility. Fundamental to this is the end of UNRWA which promotes the concept and reality of maintaining Palestinian refugee status in perpetuity and passed down from generation to generation. For this to work Israel must remain a military power with the ability to defend itself from attack.
A wise man once said: "The Left destroys everything it touches."
Dennis Prager.
I have been trying to decide who is worst secretary of state ever, Kerry or Blinken. It's clearly Kerry. Blinken is a simmering fool. Kerry is outspokenly arrogant about his idiocy.
Fantastic essay and so on point about the Left and Progressives. Much of what the Trump administration did that was beneficial to Israel, Biden tried to undo, but the worst move he made was to lift sanctions off Iran and return their $6 billion. Then his "ironclad" support of Israel, which he said just a week ago, is to now put sanctions on Israel. As Robert Gates once said in 2014, "I think he (Biden) has been wrong on nearly every major foreign policy and national security issue over the past four decades,” and in a Washington Times article in 2021 by Cal Thomas, the headline read, "Biden has been wrong on every major foreign policy decision in last 4 decades." We have been witnessing this with his handling of Hamas, Iran, Ukraine and Russia, and Israel. In nine weeks, we may see a return to sanity and a stronger stance with our enemies. Kushner will not be a part of the Trump administration, but he will act as an adviser. Hopefully, he will resume his work to get more Middle East countries on board with the Abraham Accords, and Trump will work with Israel on finishing the war with Hamas and Hezbollah. None of this will happen quickly but we can now feel optimistic about moving forward.
There's a certain resemblance between the US foreign policy establishment's inability to get beyond the "two-state solution" and the Great War French and British generals' inability to get beyond the notion that with enough men and guns and shells, the Western Front trench stalemate could be broken. After every failed offensive with its appalling toll of killed and wounded soldiers, the generals demanded more of the same, confident that if they deluged enough high explosive on the German Army it would break. They were deaf to arguments that new weapons and tactics were needed to break the deadlock. In just the same way, the US State Department and people like John Kerry were deaf to suggestions that the intransigence of the Palestinians and Iran's emergence as a destabalizing regional power demanded a change of policy. Instead they clung to the discredited idea that the Palestinians could be enticed, and the Israelis bullied, into cutting a deal.
The Trump plan also called for a two-state solution.
Yeah? Let’s see if Trump pushes that delusional policy going forward. My guess: No. but Bien or Harris would have chased that unicorn.
Well it depends on the details. There are some versions of the two state solution like the Trump version that could actually work.
Well, personally I doubt it. In my view, the two-state solution is dead for a generation at least.
Yeah perhaps. The two state solution is a good idea in principle but you have to make sure the Palestinian state doesn’t become a terror state. No repeating the Gaza mistake. Big changes in Palestinian society would help. So would ironclad security guarantees. You would need a contingency plan. If they start firing rockets, Israel can go in and get them.
The Trump plan gave the IDF freedom of action in the Palestinian state. So it was more viable than the standard formulation.
Yes, if those things happened, there could be a two-state solution. But that seems highly unlikely to me. And for the foreseeable future, Israel will be most unwilling to take risks for peace, as the saying went, pre-0/7.
I was negotiating with a Muslim Jihad terrorist ( nr 2 in Kashmir, India/Pakistan border area ) . They are very fanatical and they are not in hurry. They want and want much , but they don’t give anything away what they have got . War is a deceit. That is clearly in Quran. They can make some deal , if they feel it suitable for their purposes. But when they find it is better to break the deal, they break it. They are thinking very differently than western countries and leaders. It takes time to get inside properly. I was negotiating more than half a year. We had very difficult conversations and finally we found out that we could NOT get any deal done . After these discussions I was hospitalised for many weeks, it took so much effort with my heart. I know many Muslims but I know they want Israel to disappear, it is clearly in Quran. This is the “ End of Days “ in Torah and Kabbalah we are living NOW. The Third Temple and the Kingdom of Israel ( Davidic Dynasty) are eternal and Sanhedrin will be also in the Third Temple on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem Very Soon Baruch HaShem. The final peace will come only after Shechinah is dwelling in the Third Temple on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem Very Soon Baruch HaShem.
This is the main problem. Western countries, their leaders, high-ranking officials of the security forces, diplomats, media and others do not take into account the difference in mentality. They look at everything completely differently. For example, they often negotiate not with the goal of achieving some result, but with completely different goals. Often, when negotiating, they demand and receive various concessions and advantages, and it is more profitable for them to receive them constantly, conducting eternal negotiations, than to get a result. They have different ideas about honor, law, truth. This does not mean that they are better or worse. It means that they are different, and if this is not taken into account, then it is like a blind man playing chess with a sighted man.
Most Americans have very little knowledge of Abraham accords bc it was Trump’s achievement at the end if his term and was not in the left leaning media at all bc it was embarrassing for ALL previous democrats like Clinton or Obama or Carter bc they got Nobels for it but actually failed! (Actually we still don’t know why Obama got it) Trump deserves the Nobel peace prize for not only achieving what others failed at for nearly 100 years but for proving that this agreements have longevity even at the time of major conflict and war between Arabs and Jews!!!
You wrote: "People talk about the fact that young people in the West are becoming more sympathetic to the Palestinians. While this is true, I believe there is a good chance that this conflict will be for all practical purposes over before that even matters."
Which "young people" are you referring to? Rich young people on Ivy League campuses. If the recent election shows us anything, it's that these people do not have the numbers to determine who sits in the White House and who determines foreign policy. They can scream through their masks all they want, but a majority of Americans will vote for common sense and national security.
Not clear to me how this conflict is getting any closer to being solved. The Abraham Accords were great news at the time but now the Saudis have explicitly said they won’t join until there’s a plan for a Palestinian state, which is pretty much Hamas’ objective in launching October 7. In the meantime Hamas and Hezbollah are no longer offensive threats to Israel but Lebanon and Gaza are chaotic hellholes lacking any government authority who could credibly assure peace, even if the people there wanted it.
You state this as if Biden/Harris continued with the Accords and somehow it petered out. Biden/Harris more or less abandoned work on the Accords on day one--you can't really blame anyone other than their administration for taking us two steps backward. They were the main reason Iran was emboldened, enriched and Hamas was funded. Iran and it's proxies knew that it could get the current administration to jerk Israel around especially before the election because they didn't want to offend their Dearborn, Michigan contingent. The Saudis respect strength and conviction (as any foreign leader would, but especially in the Middle East).
Sending money to the Ayatollahs must be one of the stupidest ideas ever.
Whacchu smoking?
Biden was desperate to expand on Trump’s AAs to get normalization deal with the Saudis when Oct 7 happened and sent the whole region into a tailspin.
Yahya Sinwar was giving a fiery speeches at the 2018 Gaza march of return, in part a reaction to Trumps Jerusalem embassy move, swearing bloody vengeance on Israel that seems quite prescient in retrospect. The fuse to October 7 was lit under Trump.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/hamas-leader-hopes-to-see-hundreds-of-thousands-storm-israel-gaza-fence/amp/
A good article, but I am pessimistic about the Arab nations wanting to "move on". I see ME media and I know ordinary Arabs from various ME nations, and I don't believe there's good faith when Arab rulers are telling the West they want peace and stability for themselves and Israel. At home they are telling their very young populations that the destruction of Israel is coming, for the sake of Islam, and that it's only a matter of time. It's a long game. I'm sure those in charge in the USA for the next few years aren't naive, I just hope they don't congratulate themselves too soon on apparent agreements, because Israel's enemies are not going away.
I don't smoke. I'm not surprised that they protested. Worse than that was expected at the time which is why no other president was ballsy enough to do it. They have used every excuse in the book to claim the right of return since the "Nakba". What about funding the Ayatollah's? Are you ok with that? Does that seem like a good way to continue the AAs?
Allowing sovereign nation-states, like Iran, South Korea, Japan, European nations, etc. to engage in lawful, voluntary, mutually- benefical trade and commerce without interference from great powers has been a cornerstone of international relations for 400 years.
That the US “allowed” that to continue to the economic benefit of Iran, whatever one thinks of the Iranian government, is not the same as the US actively “funding” that government. That’s pure propaganda.
Regardless, lax vs tight US policy of economic sanctions on Iran has nothing to do with the Abraham Accords.
The fact that you see no difference between Iran and "South Korea, Japan, European nations, etc." is exactly the delusional mentality that cost the Democrats the White House, the Senate, and the Congress.
Most Americans don't live in your fairy tale, and when you attempt to impose it on us, it's those who can't afford to escape the consequences who suffer. We're done.
The frozen Iranian assets in question behind the “funding the mullahs” charge came from lawful commerce between Iran and each of those countries, particularly South Korea and Japan, not from the US Treasury as the charge misleadingly implies.
As you didn’t remember that, it’s doubtful American voters remembered the issue either on Election Day. Besides, Trump already sent Elon Musk to meet with Iranian officials, perhaps opening the possibility of similar deals with Iran.
You really need to listen and read carefully anything the Saudis say. There’s a loophole let’s see if they take it or sidle up closer to Tehran.
What’s the loophole?
Agree 110%!
I’ve not quite understood the term “Arab Street”. What kind of mass sentiment was or is that?
I think it refers to presumed view of the Arab population that would be expressed by taking to the streets to protest.