U.S. President Donald Trump hasn’t yet delivered the "deal of the century” he’s long sought in the Middle East, but his administration’s efforts have produced an agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates that even opponent Joe Biden is calling a historic step.
It’s an accomplishment that comes with plans for a White House signing ceremony on the cusp of the November presidential election. And it lets Trump claim a foreign policy win after he failed to deliver on efforts to secure a nuclear deal with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un or force Iran’s leaders to the negotiating table through a "maximum pressure” campaign of sanctions.
Much has yet to be hashed out beyond the broad strokes outlined by Trump on Thursday: The UAE will move toward normalizing relations with Israel, joining Egypt and Jordan as the only Arab countries to do so. And Israel will suspend further annexations in the West Bank.