UAE-Bahrain Deal With Israel Hailed as Historic, But Details Are Thin
- Timeline for embassy openings, access to holy sites unclear
- Signing gives Trump a foreign policy win ahead of election
The accords the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain signed with Israel Tuesday were hailed by President Donald Trump as a “foundation for a comprehensive peace” across the Middle East and touted as a crowning achievement of his presidency.
Yet despite all the pomp of a grand White House signing ceremony, the signed documents released hours later, while making several sweeping promises -- especially between the UAE and Israel -- left many crucial questions unanswered.
The “Abraham Accords” declaration, which Trump joined in signing, and Bahrain’s deal with Israel are single-page documents. The first offers to pursue a “vision of peace, security and prosperity in the region,” and the second holds out little beyond an agreement to establish diplomatic ties. That’s significant in itself, but the declaration acknowledged that other achievements would be left for later.