Dear ,

In this week's CUFI Action Update we are going to update readers on
the current state of the peace proposal, delve into the Arab world's
reaction to the proposal including the thaw underway between certain
nations and Israel, and touch on the Trump administration's most
recent efforts to counter Iran.

Peace Proposal Update

During President Trump's State of the Union address this week, he
discussed his Middle East peace proposal noting, "Recognizing that all
past attempts have failed, we must be determined and creative in order
to stabilize the region and give millions of young people the chance to
realize a better future."

Presently, Israel remains committed to the plan and the Palestinians
remain stubbornly opposed to the opportunity. But a great deal of the
wisdom of this proposal was that it does not allow Palestinian
rejectionism to serve as a roadblock to progress.

Prime Minister Netanyahu has stated that Israel will begin annexation
efforts following the Jewish state's March 2nd election. Notably, with
Blue and White leader Gen. Benny Gantz having endorsed the plan and
indicating a desire to bring it before a full Knesset vote, it appears
that regardless of who wins the Israeli election, Israel will be
embarking down the road laid out by President Trump's peace proposal.

Please note: while the CUFI Action Fund offers relevant analysis, like
our sister organization Christians United for Israel, we takes no
position on domestic Israeli matters, including elections.

An "Arab-Israeli" Conflict No More?

From Egypt and Jordan, which have formal peace treaties with Israel, to
Saudi Arabia and certain Gulf Arab nations, to Morocco and Sudan, the
tide is shifting in Arab-Israeli relations. Though once bitter enemies
of Israel, many of these countries have begun to realize that they have
no quarrel with the Jewish state.

Last week, the ambassadors of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Oman and
Bahrain were all in attendance at the rollout of President Trump's
peace proposal. The foreign minister of the UAE later tweeted out an
article by conservative columnist Bret Stephens at the New York Times

which noted that "every time the Palestinians say 'no'" to
Israel, "they lose."

For their part, the foreign ministry of Saudi Arabia reacted fairly
positively to the proposal, releasing a statement that notes, "the
Kingdom appreciates the efforts made by President Trump's administration
to develop a comprehensive Palestinian-Israeli peace plan..." 

In addition, both the governments of Sudan and Morocco moved closer this
week to normalizing diplomatic relations with Israel.

Here in the US, there are members of the Arab community that also
believe the peace proposal has value. For example, a Moroccan publisher
who sits on the Board of Atlantic Council and serves as a counselor for
the Center for Strategic and International Studies made a case for the
plan in the pages of The Hill
,
stating, "the plan is, by comparison with its predecessors,
refreshingly realistic."

Naysayers may note that the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the
Arab League rejected the peace proposal unanimously, but what they are
ignoring is that when left to their own devices - devoid of the
threats and pressures associated with those two international
organizations - several Arab nations welcomed the plan, and in doing
so made statements in line with their own national interests.

Fundamentally, many Arab leaders have ceased to view "resistance"
against Israel as a part of their national ambitions. They see the
Palestinian movement as completely infected by maximalist rejectionism.
None-the-less, the leaders of these countries remain concerned with
those violent extremists who would use a formal Arab rapprochement with
Israel as a way to recruit more violent extremists. And Arab leaders are
always mindful of how Iran might use détente with Israel to turn Arab
anti-Semitic sentiment against the rulers of Arab powers. This said,
Arab leaders increasingly recognize that their national interests are
best served by a stable Middle East and relationship with the economic
powerhouse that is the Jewish state.

Perhaps most importantly, front-of-mind for each of these Arab countries
is the threat posed by an increasingly aggressive Iran. And when it
comes to Iran, the Arab world's two greatest allies are Israel and the
United States.

Maximizing Maximum Pressure

Late last week, the Trump administration imposed new sanctions on
Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, and sanctioned the individual who
oversees that entity. At the same time, the White House extended
civilian nuclear waivers for the Islamic Republic for sixty days.

While seemingly contradictory, these two decisions effectively highlight
the choice Iran's rulers have before them.

As President Trump noted during his State of the Union address, "In
recent months, we have seen proud Iranians raise their voices against
their oppressive rulers. The Iranian regime must abandon its pursuit of
nuclear weapons, stop spreading terror, death, and destruction, and
start working for the good of its own people. Because of our powerful
sanctions, the Iranian economy is doing very poorly. We can help them
make it very good in a short period of time, but perhaps they are too
proud or too foolish to ask for that help. We are here. Let's see
which road they choose. It is totally up to them."

The CUFI Action Fund believes that Iran must abandon its present course
and agrees with President Trump's position that no sanctions should be
lifted in order to secure negotiations. Iran must end its military
nuclear program and cease supporting terrorism around the world before
the pressure is relieved.

In the coming months, the CUFI Action Fund will work to address Iran's
civilian nuclear waivers as well as the impending conclusion of the UN
arms embargo on the Islamic Republic. And as always, we will work to
ensure the US-Israel relationship remains as strong and vibrant as ever.
As we do so, we will need leaders like you to communicate to your
elected officials the importance of support for Israel, combatting
anti-Semitism and standing up to regional belligerents like Iran and
Hezbollah.

Thank you for taking the time to learn about these vital issues, and
thank you for your support of the CUFI Action Fund.

Sincerely,
CUFI Action Fund Team

SUPPORT CUFI ACTION FUND
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