The following is a letter to the editor that I wrote regarding the agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates to normalize relations, which appeared in The New York Times:
August 15, 2020
To the Editor:
Re “Israelis and U.A.E. Agree to Full Ties in Landmark Deal” (front page, Aug. 14):
The accord between Israel and the United Arab Emirates to normalize diplomatic relations is a seismic shift in a region that is typically besieged by strife.
By engaging in a forward-looking approach and gazing through a lens of opportunity and optimism, this landmark agreement facilitated by the United States has the potential to create new economic partnerships and develop security alliances that can help stabilize the Middle East. It can also foster collaboration between Israel and its Arab neighbors to inhibit Iran’s enduring efforts to create chaos in the region, which has seen far too much bloodshed.
Furthermore, this historic agreement is a reminder that to achieve a degree of peace, one must be prepared to offer difficult concessions, a lesson that the Palestinian Authority, which sharply criticized the Israel-U.A.E. deal, will hopefully heed. Focusing on the future and making bold and difficult decisions with an eye toward reconciliation is far more effective than a steadfast refusal to compromise in the pursuit of peace.
Let us hope that the tremors from this geopolitical earthquake reverberate throughout the region and create aftershocks that will bring about additional rapprochements.
N. Aaron Troodler
Bala Cynwyd, Pa.
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