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.
