10 | OCTOBER 7 • 2021 

PURELY COMMENTARY

I

n a logical world, the 
United Nations — and 
especially the United 
States — would be loudly 
celebrating the first 
anniversary of the Abraham 
Accords.
This 
momentous 
agreement 
marked the 
first peace 
deals between 
Israel and any 
Arab nation 
in 26 years. The Accords 
between the Jewish state and 
the United Arab Emirates 
and Bahrain — followed by 
normalization agreements 
with Morocco, Sudan and 
then Kosovo — have spurred 
massive increases in trade, 
diplomacy and tourism. 
After 73 years of Arab war 
and calumny against Israel, 
we see the promise of an end 
to hostilities. A warm peace. 
You’d think such a miracle 
might deserve a Nobel Peace 
Prize.
Indeed, the new Middle 
East peace has opened up 
phenomenal economic 
opportunities. Comparing 
the full year of 2020 with the 
first seven months of 2021, 
trade between Israel and Arab 
countries grew by 234%.
UAE-Israel trade 
skyrocketed from $50.8 
million to $613.9 million — 
an increase of 1,208%. Trade 

with Jordan jumped from 
$136.2 million to $224.2 — 
40%. Egypt’s trade shot up 
from $92 million to $122.4 
million — almost 25%. 
Morocco’s trade with Israel 
increased by 28 percent.
UAE economy minister 
Abdulla Bin Touq projects 
growth of economic ties to 
Israel to reach $1 trillion 
over the next decade. In the 
last year, more than 200,000 
Israelis visited the UAE — 
most flying direct to Dubai, 
where kosher food is readily 
available.
So why is the Biden 
administration now 
virtually ignoring this 
earthshaking breakthrough 
and its potential to realign 
Middle East geopolitics — 
particularly the formation 
of a bloc opposing nuclear-
bound Iran?
The resistance seems to 
stem from Team Biden’s 
overriding determination 
to a) fashion a new Iran 
disarmament deal and b) 
restore support to Palestinian 
statehood. The additional fact 
that the Abraham Accords 
were initiated by the Trump 
administration, of course, 
doesn’t help their digestive 
tracts. 
 
DEALING WITH IRAN 
As for Iran, Biden’s State 
Department seems at pains 
— as was President Obama 

— not to exert too much 
pressure on Iran or ruffle its 
feathers.
But in the hands of the 
right negotiators, a growing 
front of Middle East — and 
Muslim — countries opposed 
to U.S. arch-enemy Iran 
should be good news. It only 
strengthens the American 
hand in attempting to bring 
the Islamic Republic to heel. 
Given this momentum to 
ally with Israel — the Middle 
East’s strongest military 
power — Saudi Arabia 
may soon join the alliance, 
especially with a bit of U.S. 
prodding. Surely, if Iran 
acquires nuclear weapons, 
Saudi Arabia will want them, 
too. In short, the Abraham 
Accords provide every reason 
for Iran to negotiate peace 
sooner rather than later. 
Likewise, the Biden 
administration apparently 
wants to make nice with 
the Palestinians — who 
have roundly condemned 
the Abraham Accords. 
Palestinian president-for-
life Mahmoud Abbas called 
them “a stab in the back.” No 
wonder, since this agreement 
killed the Palestinians’ 
ability to hold an Arab peace 
hostage to their maximalist 
demands.
Indeed, the U.S. argument 
for the obstinate Palestinians 
to give up their sacred 
ambitions of expunging Israel 

from the region should only 
be fortified by fellow Arabs 
abandoning that mission 
after seven long decades. 
That war is over.
Unfortunately, despite the 
harmony of these foreign 
policy leverage points 
with Biden administration 
priorities, neither seems to 
resonate.
Instead, the United States 
is trying to woo Iran with 
offers to cancel crippling 
sanctions. 
It’s trying to regain 
credibility with the 
Palestinians by restoring 
funding halted by the 
previous administration 
because Palestinian 
leadership uses the money to 
incentivize terrorists with its 
“Pay-for-Slay” program.
In fairness, Secretary of 
State Antony Blinken held 
a Zoom reception for the 
parties to the Accords at the 
State Department earlier 
this month to mark the 
anniversary of the diplomatic 
breakthrough. While Blinken 
mouthed commitments to 
“foster” ties and “deepen” 
relationships among Middle 
East nations, in truth, 
the administration has 
announced no specific plans 
to seize the opportunities. 
 
THE NAYSAYERS 
Perhaps the biggest surprise 
among those rejecting the 

James 
Sinkinson
JNS.org

opinion

Happy Anniversary, 
Abraham Accords! Time for 
the U.S. to Rejoin the Party.

