Read on Twitter
Thread: 1/ The Morocco-Israel peace deal is good for both countries, but sustained US follow-through by Biden admin & Congress will be key to ensuring peace is implemented in a robust and lasting manner, as noted by @varshakoduvayur and I in recent oped. https://nationalinterest.org/blog/middle-east-watch/biden-must-act-make-sure-sudan-israel-peace-lasts-172420
2/ The Morocco-Israel deal, at this point reflected only in press statements & tweets, currently differs in form from the comprehensive, legally binding peace agreements signed by the UAE & Bahrain. The Morocco deal also contains much less substance, per some press reports.
3/ According to the NYTimes, "government officials in Morocco conspicuously avoided committing to an opening of embassies or consulates in each other’s countries, pledging only to “resume diplomatic relations as soon as possible.”" https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/10/world/middleeast/israel-morocco-trump.html
4/ The UAE & Bahrain agreements were strategic pivots, pursuant to which UAE & Bahrain have already embarked on relationships with Israel far warmer–and w/ far more intensive cooperation in economic, scientific, and social fields–than cold peace Israel has with Egypt & Jordan.
5/ The entire region, including Morocco, would benefit from following the UAE and Bahrain example and transforming Arab-Israeli relations from unproductive conflict to fruitful cooperation.
6/ It is essential that the Biden administration prioritize encouraging additional countries to improve their relations with Israel, and help ensure that the existing relationships are solidified, in a manner designed to also encourage peace between Israel and the Palestinians.
7/ Expanding and solidifying the recent progress towards Arab-Israeli peace will depend on foreign interlocutors and U.S. officials perceiving the initiative as a high priority for President Biden and it receiving sustained and systematic U.S. governmental focus and resources.
8/ History shows that steps towards peace between Israel and its Arab neighbors can stall or even collapse in the absence of sufficient traction. Morocco itself began less-than-full diplomatic relations with Israel in 1994, only to cancel them in 2000.
9/ Israel & Lebanon signed peace deal 1983; Leb canceled 1984. Arab League's Mauritania: full relations 1999-2010. 4 other Arab states each had then ended formal less-than-full dip relations w/ Israel—Morocco (1994-2000), Oman (1996-2000), Qatar (1996-2000),Tunisia (1996-2000).
10/ It would be tragic if the recent progress on Arab-Israeli peace were to suffer the same fate as did these earlier steps towards peace. Sustained US follow-through by Biden admin & Congress will be key to ensuring peace is this time implemented in a robust and lasting manner.
