Since the day in 1948 when the armies of Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Iraq invaded what had just ceased to be “The British Mandate for Palestine – The Land of Israel” to become the state of Israel, marking the beginning of Israel’s War for Independence, the Arab countries and in general the Muslim world have been Israel’s foes.
The animosity continued through wars, terrorism and political warfare. That was until the political ice was cracked with the Abraham Accords.
The Abraham Accords
The Abraham Accords, mediated by the United States during President Donald Trump’s first presidential term, are bilateral agreements based on normalizing Arab-Israel relations, which Israel signed with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain on September 15, 2020.
The Abraham Accords can be seen as a positive geopolitical changer in the Middle East, spilling over to the West.
However it appears that the Accords have met with European leaders’ skepticism. This approach mitigates significance and perhaps threatens to harm not only the Arabian region, but also Europe’s own interests.
Why Europe’s Spectator Stance?
By taking a spectator approach to the Abraham Accords, Europe ignored the Accords factor, which is bringing more stability and prosperity to the Middle East while strengthening the West’s long-term security.
Geographically, Europe is close to the Arabian Peninsula.
The more economically-challenged and unstable the Middle East is, the more Europe experiences the effects – Re., the 1973 crude oil crisis. This reflects through uncontrolled migrating refugees fleeing regional war-torn and economically failed markets; with it the spread of radical Islamism ideology by those who jumped Europe’s shores and have been indoctrinating its human market.
Europe’s Fear of the Abraham Accords
The Abraham Accords are a stabilizing force. They deter wars, they demand coexistence which stimulate economic stability.
If peace and prosperity in the Middle East is the outcome of the Abraham Accords, then Europe should be all for it. After Europe’s WWII bloodlust, Brussels policymakers should be cheering conflicts’ minimization, improved economy and more cordial regional cooperation.
Yet, there is an uncomfortable reality just below the surface. Europe is afraid of a peaceful and prosperous Middle East.
One such reality is Europe’s double standard and colonial guilt. Europe’s deleterious colonial legacy has been haunting its foreign policy, resulting in moral relativism thinking that distorts reality. For Europe, democracies like Israel are held to impossible standards and authoritarian regimes and terror groups in the Middle East are excused by Europe under the guise of ridiculous “context” or “resistance” terms. Though this imbalance harms Israel somewhat it much more undermines any genuine prospect for peace, built on mutual recognition and shared values, that Europe claims to desire.
Diminished Strategic Interests and Influence
An unstable Middle East has unfortunately served Europe for decades. It has been Europe’s excuse for involvement — diplomatically, militarily, and economically, as a “mediator,” “peace broker,” “guardian of international standards.”
A Middle East that manages its own affairs appears to be unthinkable for Europe. Middle East countries pursuing direct normalization, trade pacts, and regional treaties — make Europe marginal or redundant all together.
Israel and Arab nations can create alliances without Europe’s interference let alone administration. That means that Europe is on a leverage loss trajectory; a bumpy situation for a continent that has seen itself for way too long a global mediator, which it is no longer.
Is the Thriving Middle East an Economic Threat to Europe?
An economically integrated and thus more stable Middle East creates economic competition. Considering that Israel and the US are prominent parties to the Accords, they pose a range of economic and innovation challenges to Europe.
The Middle East economic bloc will challenge Europe’s economy. Global investments could be reduced and/or its influence. Behind Europe’s Abraham Accords restraint lies its economic unease, producing hesitance to fully support this regional leap forward.
Israel’s Strength Is Europe’s Uneasiness
Europe’s Jewish history has had many downfalls: The Spanish Inquisition, expulsions from several countries, pogroms and the Holocaust come to mind. Since Israel declared its independence in 1948 the Europeans often showed disdain [did not approve] for Jewish sovereignty=Zionism, and the fact that Jews have independence in their own homeland and can defend themselves.
Europe’s foreign policy is outdated. The European establishment still follows the farce that Israel is the primary hindrance to peace while the Arabs, whom Europe is heavily invested in supporting, are the [perpetual] victims. Respect and security that are normalizing Israel and Middle East countries appear to smash this narrative’s agenda.
For those in Europe still clinging to the past’s conceptual remainders that peace in fact comes from endless concessions to foes, not from strength of sovereignty and regional healthy cooperation, is a pill difficult to swallow.
Europe’s Demographic Discomfort Due to Islamist Migration
Europe is reluctant to admit that a more stable and peaceful Middle East is likely to reduce the out of control migration to Europe from the region which plagued Europe for at least two decades. Mistakenly, European policy approach to the Accords derives from consideration of economic migration, demographic shifts, and its policymakers’ fear of their humanitarian narrative’s erosion.
A reactive, short-sighted approach is at play. It deepens instability and prolongs suffering in the region and replaces support for policies that lead to long-term regional stability.
Europe’s Footprint in the Middle East
If Europe wishes to maintain its credibility and leadership in the Middle East, the European Union (EU) should be involved in the Abraham Accords’ long-term implementation and realization.
Though the Accords are also a political maneuver between the parties, they present a major transformation of the Middle East in other aspects, all which affects Europe as well.
Europe has had a heavy footprint all over the African continent, its southern neighbor. This footprint has been obvious in the Arabian Peninsula and the Middle East through various cooperation efforts.
If the EU adopts a serious, not nonchalant, approach to the Abraham Accords, the opportunity policies it has been seeking to promote in the region for decades can be more easily implemented, creating opportunities for as many. One such promoted effort is to bolster the region and EU security.
Europe’s ‘2-State Solution’ Detractor
Europe attempting to deny the importance the Accords have been playing demonstrates a myopic political pre-conception approach, probably fueled by the fear that embracing the Accords is abandoning the ‘2-state solution’ idea Europe has been staunchly supporting.
This is a counter-productive approach because regional normalization does not threaten the ‘2-state’ issue, only the behavior of the Arabs who claim to seek this now failed solution.
Hamas’ October 7, 2023 murderous spree in southern Israel bears witness to this fact. This gruesome event pierced the ‘2-state-solution’ bubble and may have erased it all together and forever.
It appears that Europe’s desire to favor the Arab issues is the main cause for their Abraham Accords indecision. Therefore, for the EU to truly recognize the Accords’ potential it must end viewing this historic progress through its Arab optics.
The Accords Effect
The Accords have given the people of the signatory countries the opportunity to meet, greet and get to know each other. The curtains of hostility and ambiguity were lifted. A wide door has been opened to quench the thirst for a change in Israel and the Gulf states.
The Abraham Accords had an immediate effect. Cooperation in a range of fields began immediately as well as political moves were pursued. Tourism, much out of curiosity flourished. It is said that one million Israelis have already traveled to the UAE since the Abraham Accords were signed.
Food security, agriculture, and education are other pursued avenues.
The citizens of Israel and the Gulf states wanted friendship, which the Accords provided. New and much better diplomatic ties are being established with warming up the human dimension to which the Accords opened the door.
The Abraham Accords Potentiality for Europe
Europe has had decades of unfairness and antagonism toward Israel, including vicious pogroms, antisemitism and of course the Holocaust. These sentiments went under cover after WWII and have risen with Europe’s hostility toward Jews growing with the Muslim population.
The Middle East has viewed Israel as the enemy since at least 1948. The Abraham Accords can produce a totally new approach to view Israel not as the enemy, rather a real friend and a partner.
Therefore, instead of allowing the Arab issues to hold it back from embracing the Accords, the EU can enter the arena and play a positive role, thus being of help to the mediator United States. Europe can be one other key player to make the Accords a unifying element, not a contentious occurrence.
So far Europe’s policies reveal a deep discomfort with a Middle East that no longer kowtow to its outdated stock of tactics or methods. The Abraham Accords were achieved without European involvement, pointing out what is possible when regional actors take charge of their own destiny and implement it.
Europe should have celebrated the Abraham Accords initiative, yet, it has been hesitant.
Why is that?
It seems Europe views the Middle East the same way it views Africa – incapable of managing itself without Europe’s interfering guiding hand. The problem is that Europe’s extended guiding hand benefits Europe, not the Middle East.
Legacy is achieved by having the right approach and making the right strides. Europe is stuck in its social and political haughtiness.
If the European leaders do not finally embrace a Middle East operating from strength, stability, and sovereignty coexistence — not from conflict mismanagement and ideological relic — the continent will be left out of historical legacy.
The Middle East is moving on. The Abraham Accords may soon expand and other countries will join it. The question to the collective EU is: will you catch up or remain pacing way behind?
