In the entire modern history of the Middle East, since Israel established its independence in 1948, only four Arab governments have recognised the Jewish state and signed peace treaties with it.
Two of those — the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain — did so this week, under the diplomatic sponsorship of US President Donald Trump.
It is true this is not as significant as earlier treaties with Egypt and Jordan, but it is a move of transforming, historic importance nonetheless and a tremendous win for Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
It up-ends decades of stale but ubiquitous diplomatic formulations. It normalises Israel, normalises the Middle East and is the most promising regional development in decades.
If this had happened under anyone but Trump it would be hailed as a magnificent triumph of American statecraft and the relevant president would be on their way to a Nobel Peace Prize. Barack Obama won a Nobel prize for good intentions. Yet Obama achieved less than nothing in the Middle East, his only big agreement the disastrous deal that legitimised Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for a temporary promise not to produce nuclear weapons. Trump, in contrast, got two historic, genuine peace treaties.
Read the article by Greg Sheridan in The Australian.