Normalisation
18 September 2020

A weekly reflection on current global affairs concerning Israel and
the Jewish people from a Biblical perspective. 

This week at the White House PM Netanyahu of Israel signed “normalisation” agreements with representatives of the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, in the presence of US President Trump.
 
The recent “Abraham Accords” and these bilateral agreements commit the countries to (inter alia) open diplomatic relations, pursue peace and stability, and cooperate at many different levels. 
 
Given Israel has never been at war with these countries, why are “normalisation” agreements necessary? Because since 1948 the Arab world, as a whole, has refused to treat Israel as a normal member of the community of nations. 
 
The developments over the last few weeks are proof of a paradigm shift that has been going on for some time within the “Arab”/Islamic world, and as a consequence relations with Israel and other Western nations. 
 
This places a new perspective on the so-called “Israel-Palestine” conflict. It will be especially interesting to see how Europe deals with this change. While the EU has formally welcomed the agreements, the willingness of Arab nations to place their interests ahead of resolution of the Palestinian problem challenges the fundamental assumptions underlying EU’s policies concerning the conflict. 
 
Let’s hope and pray that these developments are a glimpse of the peace that will come when Messiah reigns in Jerusalem and the law shall go forth from Zion (Isaiah 2). 
 
We wish all our readers a Shana Tova!