Trump brokers historic Middle East accord

Doomsayers’ forecasts of a Middle East firestorm following Donald Trump’s 2018 decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and move the US embassy to the Holy City always looked silly. After Thursday’s announcement that the President had brokered a historic deal establishing full diplomatic relations between the United Arab Emirates and Israel, such dire forecasts, led by Arab states, have been confirmed as utterly wrong. Despite unrelenting global efforts to isolate Israel, the deal marks Israel’s most consequential diplomatic advance since 1994, when prime minister Yitzhak Rabin established ties with King Hussein of Jordan. In 1979, Israeli prime minister Menachem Begin signed a peace deal with Egyptian president Anwar Sadat. It has facilitated 40 years of constructive engagement between Jerusalem and Cairo.

The deal between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and UAE leader Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan is similarly significant. Even with the Palestinian issue unresolved, major Arab states are unmoved by the claptrap of anti-Israel campaigns such as the boycott, divestment, sanctions movement. Palestinian leaders are angry. That is no surprise. On Friday Jamal Mhaisen of Fatah accused the UAE of “unforgivable treachery” and called on other Arab states to take punitive action against the emirates. That should have no more impact than fruitless demands for an uprising over Mr Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem. Palestinian leaders are out of touch with moderate Arab states, which back Mr Trump’s Peace to Prosperity plan announced last year. It is a sensible strategy to back Israel, support Sunni Gulf monarchies and repel Shi’ite Iran’s regional ambitions. Mr Trump’s success in brokering the UAE deal shows the benefits of Washington standing by its long-time allies in the Middle East rather than shunning Israel, as Barack Obama did in his push for an unwise nuclear deal with Iran.

Palestinian leaders are too shortsighted to recognise the importance for them of aspects of the deal. In winning UAE acceptance, Washington scored a major quid pro quo in getting Mr Netanyahu to call off his threat to unilaterally annex large chunks of the West Bank. Even Arab states supportive of Mr Trump’s Middle East plan and friendly towards Israel, including Jordan, were aghast at that prospect. The UAE warned earlier this year that such a move by Israel would all but sound the death knell for closer relations between Israel and its Arab neighbours. Mr Trump and Mr Netanyahu saw the dangers of proceeding with the annexation plans. Their efforts deserve better than the shortsighted rejection of Palestinian leaders. The Palestinians would do better to follow the example of the UAE, which has an accord that opens opportunities for two hi-tech nations to boost technology, jobs and commerce.

Eighty days from the US election, critics argue the deal was timed to give Mr Trump a success in the Middle East. He needs as many votes as he can get, especially in the US Jewish community, which has become disenchanted with him. Such cynicism, however, ignores the importance of the deal. There is hope, as the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council’s Colin Rubenstein said, that other Arab states will follow the UAE example. Presidential challenger Joe Biden wisely backs the deal. If he wins he must stand by it and not return to the strategic failings of the Obama years, when he was vice-president.