Last week I watched with much excitement the signing of the peace agreement between Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. What a truly historic moment!
I had a flashback and remembered the tears of joy running in my father’s eyes watching another historic moment: Egyptian President Anwar Sadat coming out of his plane in 1977, the first official visit of an Arab head of state to Israel.
Today, I am the one with tears in my eyes, feeling that we are on the verge of a new dawn in the Middle East. The Abraham Accords — the normalization of relations between the children of Isaac and Ismael — bring together the most advanced states in the Middle East.
Joining forces and finding common ground has never been more urgent than now. In the midst of a global pandemic, these accords are set to generate immediate results for the good of humanity in its struggle against COVID-19.
In the first commercial agreement after Israel and the UAE announced the normalization of relations, an Emirati investment firm and an Israeli tech company signed an agreement to jointly research and develop a coronavirus testing device that will diagnose the disease more quickly and precisely.
The two countries have also committed to work together on medical research and pharmaceuticals, particularly collaborating in the development of treatments and vaccine trials for COVID-19.
In a recent phone conversation, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed the need to find ways that Ukraine and Israel can cooperate in the fight against COVID-19. In my opinion, the collaboration of Israeli and Emirati or Bahraini companies in the development of a vaccine will benefit our close friend Ukraine.
Israel, the UAE and Bahrain are scouting out more sectors for collaboration. These initiatives and collaborations represent just a drop in the ocean of what is to come in the normalization of our relations. The citizens of all three countries will quickly see their lives enriched as a result of this agreement, paving the way for increasingly more countries in the region to realize the vast potential that exists in making peace with Israel.
This landmark agreement, most significantly, also serves the Palestinians by presenting them with a unique opportunity to return to direct negotiations with Israel. Israel is ready to do so, and will come to the negotiating table with the principles of the American administration’s peace initiative.
The peace deal provides a practical and realistic basis upon which the two sides can begin negotiations, and in light of the Abraham Accords, achieving a lasting resolution between Israel and the Palestinians now seems that much more attainable.
We are thankful for the support of Ukraine, who recognized the significance of this moment, and hope that other Arab States will be encouraged by the results of the Abraham Accords and follow the UAE and Bahrain.
Joel Lion is the ambassador of Israel to Ukraine.
