Four months ago, more than 600 people gathered at the Chicago Cultural Center to celebrate the historic peace agreements in the Middle East for Israel’s 74th anniversary. The event was held for the first time in Chicago. Sharaka, a delegation of young Arab leaders, shared their personal experiences and encounters that were formed following the signing of the Abraham Accords. The delegation consisted of Arab diplomats and grassroot leaders ranging from an elected member of the Moroccan parliament and a Bahraini political consultant to a Bahraini peace activist and author, all collectively emphasizing the Abraham Accords as a model and lesson for peace.
This month marks the second anniversary of the accords, which provided much-needed hope for a shared better future in the Middle East. The diplomatic trajectory in the Middle East has significantly shifted with Arab nations including the United Arab Emirates, Morocco and Bahrain joining hands in peace with Israel. In economic terms, the accords are drastically changing the global landscape. This includes an astonishing $1.4 billion in trade between Israel and the UAE during the first half of 2022.
Only two years after its adoption, we see significant and exciting progress reflecting the United States’ ongoing commitment and the cooperative spirit of the accords. Israel now has diplomatic offices in the UAE, Bahrain and Morocco. Flights now connect Israel with Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Manama, Casablanca and Marrakesh. Leaders from all member nations have visited one another and signed cooperative agreements in a range of areas. Joint economic ventures have dramatically increased trade figures among members, and Israel’s advanced academic programs have drawn students from accords countries. (These include the U.S., which saw 240 students from the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business visit Israel on their 2022 spring break.) It’s estimated that the accords could generate as much as 4 million new jobs and $1 trillion in new economic activity over the next decade.
As the senior policy adviser to former Foreign Minister of Israel Gabi Ashkenazi, I had the privilege of being part of the implementation team of the Abraham Accords. For years, Israel had worked behind the scenes to build diplomatic and economic relations with other moderate states in the region. It required of these states great courage to accept that peace is not the shameful compromise that hostile elements claim it to be, but rather a victory for our shared humanity. It also took foresight and vision for these states to prioritize their citizens’ future and embrace what connects us all rather than what divides us.
Joe Biden’s first visit to Israel in July as president affirmed the bipartisan U.S. commitment to peace in the Middle East. He similarly expressed his determination that Iran will never be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons, spelled out in the Jerusalem U.S.-Israel Strategic Partnership Joint Declaration.
With U.S. encouragement, these initial successes have spurred cooperation with other countries in the Middle East. Two months ago, Saudi Arabia decided to open its skies to Israeli flights signaling a worthy notice of warmth between the countries. It is with great sentimentality that I recall my experience flying on the first official direct flight from Tel Aviv to Bahrain; flying over the Saudi desert as an Israeli official was the fulfillment of a long-held dream.
What is most exciting to me about the fields of cooperation is that their impact has not come only in dollars (or shekels or dirham) but also among individuals in the accords’ member nations and beyond. In my opinion, one of the most compelling elements of these accords is not only the government cooperation but also in how they are actually bringing people together and bridging the gaps between societies.
As I join Jews around the world in welcoming the New Jewish Year of 5783, it is my fervent wish that we continue to share the message without interruption on this path of peace.
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ABOUT THE WRITER
Yinam Cohen is consul general of Israel to the Midwest.
