Both Gulf states, the third and fourth Arab states after Egypt and Jordan to recognise Israel diplomatically, share Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s gratitude to Trump and hope to see him re-elected. That brings a willingness to see the diplomatic warming of mutual relations presented as a major step towards peace in the Middle East. Grist to the Trump campaign message that he is an international statesman – his Facebook ads were already declaring last week that he had “achieved PEACE in the MIDDLE EAST”. Some Israelis ask hopefully if their country could at last be gaining acceptance in the region as a legitimate member of the neighbourhood. But their country’s leadership knows only too well that Tuesday represented far less than Trump would have us believe.

Source: The Irish Times September 17, 2020 17:45 UTC