22 | DECEMBER 31 • 2020 

I

n the spring of 2018, 
David Fischer and 
John Rakolta Jr. were 
presidential nominees, 
awaiting Congressional 
approval before assuming 
their posts as U.S. 
ambassadors, respectively, 
to Morocco and the United 
Arab Emirates.
Neither of the two 
financial backers of Donald 
Trump’s presidential 
campaign, both of whom 
are Oakland County 
businessmen and longtime 
GOP partisans, could 
foresee how relatively short 
their diplomatic postings 
would be — due to the 
many months of partisan 
bickering that delayed their 
confirmation by the Senate, 
capped by Trump’s electoral 
defeat. 
But what their tenures 
lacked in duration, they 
made up for in significance. 
Neither ambassador had 
reason to anticipate the 
remarkable events that 
would unfold on their 
watch: the diplomatic 
breakthrough and 
astonishing, unexpected 
official warming of 
relations between Israel 
and some Arab nations, 
brokered by the U.S. Both 
ambassadors served as 
go-betweens in the delicate 
negotiations leading to the 
diplomatic breakthrough.
Under the auspices 
of President Trump, the 
Abraham Accords in 
September normalized 
relations between Israel and 
the UAE and Bahrain; they 
were followed shortly by 
Sudan’s recognition of Israel. 
The Kingdom of Morocco 
agreed two months later to 

open diplomatic relations 
with the Jewish state toward 
establishing full recognition. 
Some experts predict that 
Saudi Arabia may be next.
“From Morocco’s historical 
tradition of protecting its 
Jewish minority,” Fischer said 
on Dec. 14, “the signing of 
the Marrakech Declaration 
to yesterday’s agreement — 

[King Mohamed VI] sets an 
example to the region and 
the world.” Simultaneously, 
Trump signed a proclamation 
recognizing Morocco’s claim 
over Western Sahara, where 
dissidents have campaigned 
to break away from the 
kingdom.
“We didn’t come here 
expecting to participate in 

a peace process,” Fischer, 
74, who arrived in Morocco 
in January of this year, 
said in an interview. “We 
weren’t anticipating COVID 
either. This is where the 
skills you’ve learned from 
a lifetime in business and 
how to respond to surprises 
come in handy.” Fischer owns 
the Suburban Collection 
of automotive dealerships, 
located mainly in Southeast 
Michigan. 
In early March, a 
delegation of about 40 
touring congregants and 
clergy from Temple Israel 
of West Bloomfield found 
themselves nearly stranded 
in Morocco as worries 
over COVID mounted. 
Ambassador Fischer, who is 
not Jewish, and the embassy 
staff were able to facilitate 
their return home just as air 
travel was shutting down.

‘STIMULATING 
ASSIGNMENT’
John Rakolta Jr., 73, 
attended Brother Rice High 
School in Birmingham and 
graduated from Marquette 
University in Milwaukee. 
Until his nomination, he 
served as CEO of Walbridge, 
a construction company 
started by his father and 
based in Detroit.
As a young man struck 
by Israel’s lightning victory 
in the Six-Day War, Rakolta 
wondered why Middle East 
peace between Israel and 
its Arab neighbors proved 
elusive. Later on, as he 
learned more about festering 
grievances, it appeared 
unreasonable to him that 
“the Palestinians and the 
Israelis couldn’t just sit down 
and do what’s best for their 

Two local businessmen, serving as 
diplomats in Arab nations, play role 
in Middle East peace accords.

DORON LEVIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Abraham 
Ambassadors

ERETZ

U.S. Ambassador 
to UAE John 
Rakolta Jr.

U.S. Ambassador
to Morocco 
David Fischer and 
his wife, Jennifer

PHOTOS COURTESY STATE DEPT.

