C-SPAN has posted video of the Abraham Accord signing ceremony including representatives of Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain at the White House today. I have embedded the video below. The Times of Israel has posted a brief account of the ceremony here.
Everyone involved has an interest in hyping the importance of the agreement, but it is a great and historic day by any fair reckoning. The agreement certainly strengthens the hand of the United States in the Middle East. It also strengthens the hand of Israel in its death struggle with the Iranian regime — you know, the one with which the Obama administration jumped into bed, the one with which the Biden administration can’t wait to jump back into bed. The correlation of forces, as the Soviet Union used to put it, shifts in a manner that enhances our interests.
The Times of Israel has posted the text of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s remarks here. I was moved by his personal reference:
Ladies and gentlemen, the people of Israel well know the price of war. I know the price of war. I was wounded in battle. A fellow soldier, a very close friend of mine, died in my arms. My brother Yoni lost his life while leading his soldiers to rescue hostages held by terrorists at Entebbe. My parents’ grief over the loss of Yoni was unrelieved until their dying day. And over the years, when I have come to console the families of Israel’s fallen soldiers and victims of terror, I have seen that same grief countless times. And this is why I am so deeply moved to be here today. For those who bear the wounds of war cherish the blessings of peace.
We should take a moment to contemplate and enjoy this.
UPDATE from Steve: The good folks at the Free Beacon offer us this one-minute highlight reel of all the Certified Smart People who said Trump was blowing up the Middle East by moving our embassy to Jerusalem.
