Giving due credit for the agreement between Israel and the UAE

By Kenneth Dekleva

Dr. Kenneth Dekleva is a former physician-diplomat with the U.S. State Dept. and Professor of Psychiatry and Director, Psychiatry-Medicine Integration, UT Southwestern Medical Center and senior Fellow, George HW Bush Foundation for US-China Relations.  He is the author of two novels, The Negotiator's Cross and The Last ViolinistThe views expressed are his own and do not represent the views of the U.S. Government, State Dept., or UT Southwestern Medical Center.

Dr. Kenneth Dekleva served as a Regional Medical Officer/Psychiatrist (including 5 years at the U.S. Embassy Moscow, Russian Federation) with the U.S. Dept. of State during 2002-2016, and is currently Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Director, Psychiatry-Medicine Integration, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX. 

OPINION — President Trump’s Twitter announcement of the historic normalization of relations agreement between Israel and the UAE is dramatic and singular on many levels. It represents a HUGE achievement, only the 3rd such peace/diplomatic agreement between Israel and an Arab state, with the UAE now joining Egypt and Jordan in a similar accomplishment.  This deal offers the opportunity to bring peace to a troubled region, which has bedeviled so many American Presidents.  President Trump’s brokerage and strong support of this agreement also sends a strong message to other countries with equities in the Middle East – Iran, Saudi Arabia, the other GCC states (Oman and Bahrain are likely to follow suit), Syria, and Turkey – that he has placed both America’s and his own prestige on the line, and that America is very much a player in today’s modern version of Kipling’s ‘Great Game.’

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