Peace Deal And Threats

Middle East Peace?

The White House negotiates historic peace deals between key Middle Eastern nations while the U.S. president puts one of the region’s major power brokers on notice for an alleged assassination plot.

“Abraham Accords”

• White House facilitated “pacts” between Middle East countries that previously had no formal diplomatic relations (officials don’t talk/meet).
• Nations involved: Israel & United Arab Emirates (UAE), Israel and Bahrain.
• First significant peace deal in decades. Republicans and Democrats both support the pacts that Pres. Trump says will lead to the “dawn of a new Middle East.”

Why It Matters:

• Traditionally of opposing politics, the Jewish state of Israel & Muslim nations of UAE, Bahrain have only worked together “unofficially” or not at all.
• Pacts open opportunity for potential cooperation – economically (trade), politically and beyond.
• Other Arab nations may join, pulling together a new regional alliance that would be a direct affront to Iran (Muslim nation vehemently anti-Israel).

“The UAE both betrayed the world of Islam, and [it] betrayed Arab nations and regional countries, and [it] also betrayed Palestine.”

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. An Arab-Israeli alliance brokered by the U.S. threatens Iran, creating a potential bloc that leaves Iran – a country that relied on anti-Israel sentiment to unify with its Arab neighbors – on the sidelines.

Something To Consider:

• How the pacts evolve from this point on remains TBD.
• Foreign ministers – in contrast to heads of state PM Netanyahu and Pres. Trump – of UAE and Bahrain signed the pacts at the White House.
• Rockets launched from Gaza (a Palestinian territory) into Israel on the same day of the White House signing ceremony. No damage reported. Gaza receives support from Iran and UAE.

“Any attack by Iran, in any form, against the United States will be met with an attack on Iran that will be 1,000 times greater in magnitude!”

Pres. Trump, on Twitter, on the eve of the historic peace deal ceremony with UAE, Israel and Bahrain. In a previous tweet, the President cited “press reports… Iran may be planning an assassination, or other attack, against the United States in retaliation for the killing of terrorist leader Soleimani.”

The pacts are called the “Abraham Accords” for Abraham, a key figure in 3 of the world’s major religions: Judaism, Islam, & Christianity. One of the most obvious signs of change due to the deals: Plane flights between the nations, and the possibility for embassies in each other’s nations. Who to watch for? Saudi Arabia.