President Donald Trump has brokered a historic peace deal between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, or UAE. It is the first agreement to normalize relations between Israel and a major Arab country in 25 years. The hope is that more Arab and Muslim countries will follow the UAE’s lead and normalize relations with Israel.
The agreement will be known as the Abraham Accord as the Biblical figure of Abraham is considered to be the father of the three main religions in the region: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. As U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman explained, “No person better symbolizes the potential for unity among all these three great faiths than Abraham.”
The Abraham Accord is a major breakthrough for Muslims throughout the world who wish to come to pray at the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, as they will now be able to fly directly to Tel Aviv from Abu Dhabi, the capital of UAE. By encouraging more visits, it will help counter the extremists who use the false narrative that the Al Aqsa Mosque is under attack and that Muslims cannot pray at this holy site.
As President Trump made clear on his first visit to the Middle East in 2017, “the problems in the Middle East can only be solved when people of all faiths come together to fight Islamic extremism and pursue economic opportunity for people of all faiths.”
Under the peace accord, Israel and the UAE will exchange embassies and ambassadors and begin cooperation across the board on a broad range of areas, including tourism, education, healthcare, trade, and security.
Ultimately, the Abraham Accord lays the groundwork for finding a lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinians.
“Our vision,” said President Trump, “is one of peace, security, and prosperity in this region and in the world. Our goal is a coalition of nations who share the aim of stamping out extremism and providing our children a hopeful future that does honor to God.”
