All Israel
ANALYSIS

They said it couldn’t be done: Reflecting on criticism of Trump’s Mideast peace strategy

What do these critics say now?

U.S. President Donald Trump (Photo: Shutterstock)

JERUSALEM – On Friday, the seemingly impossible happened.

The Republic of the Sudan announced it was ready to normalize relations with Israel.

It was the third Arab-Israeli peace agreement in two months, and fifth deal in history. More may be coming – among them Oman, Saudi Arabia and Morocco.

“I’m sure you'll see Saudi Arabia there [making peace with Israel] very soon,” U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters on Friday in the Oval Office.

“Ultimately, we’re gonna have a big reunion at the end where everybody’s here and everybody’s going to be signing [the Abraham Accords] and we expect that Saudi Arabia will be one of those countries,” Trump said.

Just last week, I reported on our sister site – ALL ARAB NEWS – on a recent poll that found “79 percent of Saudis see a pathway to peace with Israel” that “large majorities of Arabs in region see more normalization deals with Israel coming.”

These are historic developments, made even more dramatic by the relentless chorus of critics who have been saying it couldn’t be done.

Only a few months ago, President Trump’s strategy for Arab-Israeli peace-making was not simply being dismissed – it was being outright mocked and lampooned in the U.S. and around the world.

Not only did they insist the White House approach would not lead to any peace deals between Israel and the Arab world – certainly not unless the Palestinians agreed to peace first – many of them said the Trump strategy would inflame the situation in the Middle East and make things worse.

Let’s take a look back at the record.

Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

Turkish President Recep Erdogan Former Vice President Joe Biden Former Secretary of State John Kerry Senator Bernie Sanders Former mayor and presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg Former State Department Middle East advisor Aaron David Miller New York Times editorial Washington Post Al Jazeera Haaretz What do all these critics say now?

Most are silent.

But shouldn’t they all be asked to explain why they were so wrong?

Joel C. Rosenberg is the editor-in-chief of ALL ISRAEL NEWS and ALL ARAB NEWS and the President and CEO of Near East Media. A New York Times best-selling author, Middle East analyst, and Evangelical leader, he lives in Jerusalem with his wife and sons.

Popular Articles
All Israel
Receive latest news & updates
    A message from All Israel News
    Help us educate Christians on a daily basis about what is happening in Israel & the Middle East and why it matters.
    For as little as $5, you can support ALL ISRAEL NEWS, a non-profit media organization that is supported by readers like you.
    Donate to ALL ISRAEL NEWS
    Latest Stories