The new Prime Minister of Israel, Naftali Bennett, traveled to Dubai – the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) – to engage in a historic diplomatic meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed. Bennett was the first Israeli head-of-state to visit the Arab nation.
Both sides proclaimed the meeting to be a major success – and a milestone in the relationship between the Jewish and Muslim states. Ironically, it came at a time when the Israeli-American relationship has cooled. The shifting of these relationships was over the same issue — Iran.
The Biden administration has re-engaged in efforts to have the United States re-enter the old Nuclear Agreement with Iran. Israel believes that will directly impact on the security of the Jewish state. Conversely, the folks in Dubai tend to side with Israel on the issue of Iran as a disrupter of Middle East peace.
So, what was missing in this breakthrough?
The United States – specifically President Biden. That is because he was not part of the negotiations because we were not in agreement with fundamental issues that brought about the meeting. Oh … the White House will claim some sidebar participation, but the United States was not at the table.
Not since President Carter’s Camp David Accords that brought peace and cooperation between Israel and Egypt has there been progress in promoting Israeli/Arab harmony until President Trump – through Jared Kushner – embarked on a broad policy initiative. It resulted in peace agreements to establish normal relations between Israel and four Arab states – one of which was officially at a state-of-war with the Jewish Republic.
Also, the general policy of bringing about more peaceful relationships between Israel and its Arab neighbors was never in the Democrat playbook since Carter. President Obama had shifted America to what he called a more balanced approach to the Middle East. His policy was more beneficial to Arab interests – including the Palestinians, Hamas and the PLO. The old Iran Nuclear Agreement was a prime example.
If America had any influence on this historic meeting in Dubai, the credit goes back to Trump and Kushner. (I know those on the left have a “never say anything good about Trump” policy, but come on, man. He and his people did do some very good things.)
Prior to the end of the Trump presidency, Israel was already engaging with four other Arab nations to normalize relationships – including the UAE. The meeting between heads-of-states was the culmination of that almost two-year effort that commenced in the final year of the Trump presidency.
The fact that the United States under Biden played virtually no role in this major step forward in establishing peace in the Middle East – and the acceptance of Israel as a legitimate state with a right to exist – is yet another example of America’s decline on the world stage.
It illustrates that once again Biden is on the wrong side of history and events around the world. While Biden brags about his extensive history and experience in foreign affairs, his presidency – and his popularity – suggest an unanticipated and inexplicable incompetency.
Regardless, the normalizing of the relationship between Israel and the UAE is good news for the two nations, the Middle East and the world – even if the United States was sitting in the bleachers.
So. There ‘tis.