A First Step Toward Peace: Don’s Historic Mideast Deal
President Trump is largely responsible for the most important and successful Middle East peace agreement of the past 42 years (“Game Changer,” John Podhoretz, PostOpinion, Sept. 17).
The agreement establishes peace between our staunchest ally, Israel, and some of Israel’s former bitter enemies of the Arab world. President Barack Obama treated Israel’s prime minister with contempt, signed an illegal and sham nuclear treaty with Iran, and paid a bribe of $150 billion in sanction relief to Iran’s government to accept the treaty.
Trump has reversed that course by tearing up the treaty and imposing sanctions that have decimated Iran’s oil revenues.
For a long time now, numerous Democratic Party members have accused our president of abandoning our allies and cozying up to our enemies. Trump has proven the opposite to be true.
Saul Ash, Massapequa
Though the recent peace deals between Israel, United Arab Emirates and Bahrain are potentially game changers for the region (with the hint of more deals to come), Obama perhaps played a large role in their potential to exist.
He didn’t do this by design, but by the consequence of his horrible Iran deal that made the neighborhood recognize that the most dangerous actor in the region would soon have nukes.
As a result, rational states began to work together. That’s how you get peace.
Michael Salzhauer
The Bronx
While previous presidents have pussyfooted around about the conflict between the Arab states and Israel with varying promises but no resolution, Trump has initiated the recognition of Israel by several Arab countries, with hopefully many more to follow.
His major strategy was to show that the Palestinian Authority, with its bluster to destroy Israel, no longer had credibility.
Our previous presidents only gave lip service, including donations to keep a corrupt Palestine Liberation Organization alive and in power.
Trump has not only called a spade a spade but acting accordingly. For this he should be thanked. Nelson Marans
Manhattan
The West Coast is burning and the coronavirus is still raging. It’s time for a Trump distraction: A peace deal in the Middle East that doesn’t include the Palestinians. What a farce! John Luby
Maspeth
Democrats and Palestinians screamed that there would be an explosion of violence in the Middle East if Trump moved the American Embassy to Jerusalem, Israel’s eternal capital city. The predicted violence did not materialize.
Then the president brokered a historic peace deal among Israel, Bahrain and the UAE.
Trump has done more to advance peace in the Middle East than all his predecessors combined. Give him the Nobel Peace Prize. Barry Koppel
Kew Gardens Hills
The Trump administration’s handling of Middle East policy is starting to pay off. Against the advice of the entrenched diplomatic community, the administration quietly went in a different direction.
An unintended consequence of the Iran deal was that the Sunni states in the region realized they had more in common with Israel’s desire to prevent Iranian expansion. The administration recognized that and built upon it. The world is starting to see the dividends.
Peter W. Kelly
Hazlet, NJ
There is a paradigm shift in the Middle East. The signing of diplomatic agreements between Israel, the UAE and Bahrain signals that the Arab world will no longer be held hostage to the “Palestinian cause.”
Other Islamic countries are expected to come out publicly. Many of them have had dealings with Israel.
The Palestinian Authority is invited to the discussion, but has angrily refused to acknowledge its weakening position.
Arab states have lost patience with the PA’s intransigence and Iranianbacked terrorism. It’s time for all the players to compromise and move forward together for a brighter future.
Len Bennett Deerfield Beach, Fla.