Since the beginning of its existence on the 14th of May 1948, the nation of Israel has sat alone in a hostile middle east region surrounded by nearly two- dozen countries that refuse to recognize its existence.  They’ve been long known to the Israelis as enemies that want to wipe their country from the face of the earth. Israel has never had any true allies in the region and has long relied on the United States for protection in order to ensure its survival.

Right after the establishment of the nation of Israel, a coalition of majority Muslim countries known as the Arab League (twenty-two countries in Northern Africa and Western Asia), adopted a strategy to boycott the existence of Israel by stopping all trade with Israel as well as boycotting and blacklisting companies that do business with Israel. It is important to note that the Muslim world sees Israel as an illegal settlement, stolen land from The State of Palestine by Jews who left Europe to escape persecution and establish their homeland.

Fast-forward 72 years after Israel became an independent nation, only two Muslim countries had recognized Israel. That is until August of this year when a breakthrough occurred and the United Arab Emirates became the first Muslim nation to normalize relationships with Israel in twenty-six years, the last being Jordan in 1994 and before that was Egypt in 1979. And Bahrain followed the UAE this month on September 11^th, agreeing to normalize relationships with Israel.

The Foundation for The Breakthrough

Mr. Trumps’ strategy in the middle east has been undoubtedly different than that of Obama and extraordinary compared to that of past U.S presidents. Trump has put Israel in front as one of America’s top and most important allies in the world. He has made it clear throughout his presidency that the United States will always be at the side of Israel for economic, military, and strategic cooperation. This is a stark change to Obama’s strategy in the middle east. President Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel was often seen frustrated and upset with Obama, seeing the U.S under Obama as abandoning Israel at times and leaving them out. Obama did not see Israel as being as important as President Trump has.

The first major move Trump made that solidified his stance on Israel as being legit, was by recognizing Jerusalem as the Capital of Israel back in December 2017 despite the international backlash. The U.S proceeded to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Trump’s strong willingness to support Israel meant it would be harder for countries to not recognize Israel any more thanks to America’s power and global influence.

The Deals As They Happened

It would be flat-out impossible for Israel to have normal relations with its neighbors without the help of the united states. The major economic powerhouses of the Middle East already have long-lasting relationships with the United States. This gave Mr. Trump leverage to get the two sides to talk to each other. Trump seeing the Israeli issue as an important issue to help boost his support as well as help his presidential campaign for the upcoming election, has been hard at work to broker a deal and create peace in the middle east by eliminating decades-long grudges.

On August 13^th, 2020, the Israel-United Arab Emirates peace agreement was successfully made between Israel and the UAE. In exchange for Israel suspending their annexation plans for the west bank, the UAE formally recognized Israel and agreed to normalize relationships. The agreement is expected to be signed at the White House on September 15^th.  The first direct commercial flight from Israel to the UAE took place on the 31^st of August, carrying diplomats as well as the President’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.

Bahrain and Israel announced their deal on September 15th, 2020. Bahrain will join the UAE at the signing ceremony on September 15^th. Bahrain will become the fourth Arab state to recognize Israel and the second within a month.

What the Deals Mean Going Forward

Israel, the UAE, and Bahrain are three economic superpowers in the Middle East. With Israel’s cutting-edge technology, the UAE’s growing world influence, and Bahrain’s vast resources, an alliance between the three would immensely boost the economies of the three nations, as well as greatly increase their power and influence. The three nations all share a common fear of Iran’s increased work to build nuclear weapons and their expanding military. With all three countries working together with normal relationships, the threat of Iran becomes easier to cope with and deal with. Iran cannot compare to the influence of Bahrain, Israel, and the UAE, making its activities against Israel less effective.

The most important long-term effect of this deal is peace. With two fewer countries to worry about and having and to have as an ally, Israel will immediately become much safer and less worried about its safety. The most important thing resulting from these deals for Israel is the high possibility that it will lead to a domino effect and more countries will follow. Other countries that look to build on their economy and work against Iran such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Qatar are likely to follow suit and make a similar deal with Israel.

Israel has always been a superpower in the Middle East with the most advanced military and technology. This along with the backing of the U.S has allowed Israel to survive while having no working relationships with any surrounding countries. Now with prominent Middle Eastern countries normalizing relationships and possibly more to follow, Israel will thrive more than ever. The Middle East will be able to thrive more than ever with their most prominent countries working together, instead of divided. Israel and the U.S will be sure to work together on many more strategic issues.