OCTOBER 13 • 2022 | 11
In July, President Joe
Biden visited Israel and
Saudi Arabia, where
speculation over warming
ties between Jerusalem
and Riyadh was front and
center. The trip, the first
Mideast visit by Biden since
taking office, demonstrated
that the U.S. remained
focused on enhancing the
region’s security through
strengthening partnerships
with its allies.
While it did not feature
any major announcements
— like a new normalization
agreement — the Saudis
did take the significant step
of enacting a new policy
that resulted in opening its
airspace to Israeli flights.
Additionally, Biden also
signed the “Jerusalem
Declaration,” which stated
that the U.S. is committed to
“building a robust regional
architecture; to deepen the
ties between Israel and all
of its regional partners; to
advance Israel’s regional
integration over time; and to
expand the circle of peace to
include ever more Arab and
Muslim States.”
THE PEACE DIVIDEND
The real benefits of the
Abraham Accords and their
support by the people of
each country are critical to
replicating this model of
success in other Arab and
majority-Muslim states, the
ambassadors said.
“This combination of
psychological shift and
economic prospects is going
to lead to make this peace
more resilient,” Erdan said.
“When the fruits of this peace
are exposed to the Muslim
world, I’m sure many more
countries will follow suit. And
that’s why I am so optimistic.
”
Ambassador Nusseibeh
said that she sees the
Abraham Accords as not
only an agreement between
the countries involved but
“between Islam and Judaism.
”
“The peace dividend is sold
if the tangible and practical
benefits that we see in the
UAE, that we see in Bahrain
and Morocco and Israel, are
felt in a wider circle of Arab
and Muslim countries,
” she
said.
Similarly, Moroccan
Ambassador Hilale explained
the unique history and
connection between Morocco
and the Jewish people
that dates back centuries.
Israel is home to hundreds
of thousands of Jews of
Moroccan descent, and there
remains a warm connection
between the Moroccan
Jewish community and the
government.
“
Abraham Accords were
not an end in itself, but a
trigger for a better Middle
East,” he said.
Furthermore, the hope
is that the Accords will
increasingly engage the
region’s youth — a vast
demographic — and, with
a new openness and job
opportunities, help steer the
next generation in a positive
direction.
Studies have suggested,
Ambassador Nusseibeh said,
that “if we widen the circle of
peace, we can add a trillion
dollars over the next decade
[and] take them away from
the path of extremism.
”
American Jewish Committee (AJC)
is a leading global Jewish advocacy
organization. This story was pub-
lished on its Global Voice at ajc.org.
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