Waiting for the Big One!
The Abraham Accords continue to bring Muslim nations to recognize Israel, the latest being Sudan. Recently, a delegation of almost 1,000 people from Sudan came to Israel to urge peace discussions to begin. They have begun and Sudan has initially agreed to negotiate peace talks with Israel. As President Trump announced, “The State of Israel and Sudan have agreed to make peace. This is for many, many years they’ve been at odds, to put it nicely, and to normalize relations.” Included in the negotiations is debt relief for Sudan, “agriculture, trade, aviation, and migration.” The location of the talks has not been disclosed. In a gesture of good will, Israel is sending $5 Million worth of wheat “to our new friends in Sudan.”
Not all Sudanese are eager for peace with Israel, however. Some attitudes and history don’t change quickly. Interestingly, many Israelis are interested to see an agreement with Saudi Arabia. One Israeli official believes that may happen, but at the right time. Yasmine Farouk points out a few realities if such an agreement occurs.
Among those are: One, the joint Saudi-Israeli agreement may not necessarily bring stability to the Middle East. Second, the normalization may not always advance US interests in the region. Third, the normalization will not necessarily yield liberalization or modernization in Saudi Arabia.
We rejoice at the growing prospects for peace, but we await with great anticipation, the news of a Saudi-Israeli agreement. Whenever, and however long, that may take.
(Source: The Times of Israel; Carnegie Endowment for International Peace)
