On the morning of May 11, 2021, I arrived earlier than usual at the offices of the Israeli Ministry of Regional Cooperation, which at the time was located next to Kirya in Tel Aviv.
I was working on implementing and promoting the Abraham Accords, which had been signed the previous summer. It was the most peaceful era Israel had ever known.
But suddenly that changed.
Hamas began firing hundreds of rockets into Israel. Horrifying scenes of arson and violence occurred in mixed cities such as Lod and Acre, which were set on fire by Islamists.
Israel was forced to respond, and the Israel Defense Forces launched Operation Guardian of the Wall, targeting Hamas terrorists in Gaza.
After dealing with peace, we dealt with war again.
The big question on everyone’s mind was: “Will the Abraham Accords survive this situation?”
I immediately got on the phone with colleagues in the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan, Kosovo, and Morocco, all of which are members of the Abraham Accords.
The phone conversation went very well. All of my counterparts have told me that they understand exactly what we in Israel are going through. They prayed for our safety and made it clear that we were supported.
I appreciated their kind words on the phone, but I was in big doubt whether it would translate into a public statement. I was sure that if they spoke publicly and on the record, they would shift all responsibility onto Israel.
Happily, I was wrong.
The UAE foreign minister issued a statement calling for calm and stressing the need to uphold the Abraham Accords. This was a much fairer statement than I expected.
Other Abraham Accord countries followed suit and issued largely neutral statements. Even if he showed sympathy for the Palestinians, he did not stop short of condemning Israel.
Was relieved.
When I briefed my boss at the time, Israel’s Minister of Regional Cooperation Ofir Akunis, I told him that I believed the Abraham Accords would pass this test.
Indeed they were.
Just weeks after the 2021 war, Israel opened an embassy in Abu Dhabi and a consulate in Dubai. Two weeks later, the first commercial direct flight between Israel and Morocco began, and I was honored to be on the first flight. Shortly thereafter, Israel opened an embassy in Bahrain and a liaison office in Rabat.
It is now clear to everyone that the Abraham Accords survived Operation Guardian of the Wall and that the peace treaty is on a trajectory to continued growth.
Today we find ourselves in a similar situation.
Will the Abraham Accords survive the iron sword?
The October 7 terrorist attack by Hamas was the deadliest for Jews since the Holocaust and the deadliest for Americans since 9/11.
Hamas terrorists decapitated babies and burned their parents alive. They destroyed entire villages and houses. They killed more than 1,400 Israelis, injured more than 5,000, and kidnapped well over 200.
The UAE and Bahrain immediately condemned Hamas. Kosovo’s president and prime minister both issued statements of solidarity with Israel. Sudan has so far not reacted publicly, but Morocco condemned the attacks on civilians.
In a recent speech, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation Reem Al Hashimi condemned Hamas’ heinous and barbaric attack and reiterated that the hostages should be released immediately without any preconditions.
UAE Ambassador to the United Nations Rana Zaki Nusseibeh also affirmed the country’s commitment to the Abraham Accords, backtracking from blaming Israel for the Al Ahly Hospital bombing in the Gaza Strip, and calling for further investigation. acknowledged publicly.
Ines Demiri, a special envoy from the Kosovo embassy in Jerusalem, visited Israeli communities on the Gaza border to show solidarity with the victims.
Although Morocco is sympathetic to the Palestinians in most public statements, Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita’s recent speech in Cairo stopped short of specifically condemning Israel.
To ensure the longevity of this relationship, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week rightly reaffirmed Israel’s recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over the Sahara Desert.
A number of joint economic projects are underway between Abraham Accord countries in areas such as water, energy, food and health care. These collaborations bring great benefits to local people.
However, despite the war, both the UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade and Bahrain’s Minister of Finance continue to publicly reaffirm the importance of the Abraham Accords and their economic benefits in trade and investment. Moroccan media has made similar claims.
To be sure, the public statements issued by the Abraham Accord states during this war have not always been perfect. Indeed, some of the statements were disappointing, especially after Israel launched its ground invasion of Gaza.
But the recent improvement in the tone of these statements and the willingness of Abraham Accord countries to condemn Hamas was unimaginable just a few years ago. It’s important to read between the lines of these statements and celebrate every step of progress, no matter how small.
It’s also important to recognize the elephant in the room. In this war, Israel and the Abraham Accord countries share the same threat from the Islamic Republic of Iran. Hamas, which attacks Israel, receives weapons and funding from Iran. The Houthis, who are attacking the UAE and Bahrain, receive weapons and funding from Iran. The Polisario Front attacking Morocco is armed and funded by Iran.
This week alone, the Houthis have launched drones across the Red Sea, Polisario has launched missiles into Morocco, while Hamas continues to shell Israel.
Often people don’t connect the dots. We must pay attention to the man behind the curtain. These terrorist organizations are branches of the same Iranian poisonous tree.
Without Iran, these attacks would not have been possible in the first place. Iran must face severe consequences and cannot be allowed to escape responsibility.
We must also recognize the destabilizing actions of other countries in the region, including Qatar, Turkey, and Algeria, which harbor Hamas leaders and finance their terrorist networks. These countries must also take responsibility.
The Abraham Accords were founded on peace through strength. Therefore, the treaty countries see an interest in maintaining relations with Israel as it fights these common enemies.
And actually destroying Hamas, as Israel has rightly announced its intentions, would send a huge message of deterrence to other Iranian-backed terrorist organizations that threaten the Gulf and Africa.
To those who believe that all-out war with Hamas would damage the Abraham Accords: Nothing excites the Abraham Accords partners more than the destruction and elimination of one of Iran’s terrorist proxies. If Israel is forced into a ceasefire and fails to destroy Hamas, the damage to the Abraham Accords would be even greater.
Israel’s victory means a stronger, safer, and more stable environment for the Abraham Accords countries. This is a formula not only for preserving the Abraham Accords, but also for extending it to new countries.
As in May 2021, I am confident that the Abraham Accords will survive this war.
And if Israel eliminates Hamas to win this war, the Abraham Accords will be stronger than ever.
The author is Deputy Director for Israel at the Abraham Accords Peace Research Institute. He previously served as a senior advisor to Israel’s Minister of Regional Cooperation during the signing of the Abraham Accords and the beginning of Operation Wall Defenders.