Page 37 - Jewish News_November-2020

ISRAEL & THE JEWISH WORLD November 2020 37A

BRIEFS

ISRAEL’S POPULATION vices, medical services, transportation I would urge all Arab leaderships time as real human beings – away from
REACHES 9.2 MILLION and administrative jobs so you can to bury old hatreds that have consumed hostilities, mutual recriminations and
On the eve of the Jewish New Year, the move soldiers without disabilities to their foreign policies for 72 years with- governmental propaganda – will have
population of Israel is 9.246 million. the frontline. I saw how the IDF trains out bearing fruit. Join us in forging a a revolutionary impact on all sides and
In the previous year, 170,000 babies young people with autism to read sat- peaceful Middle East, with new and on regional peace.
were born, 44,000 people passed away ellite imagery and see things you and exciting opportunities for all. (Khalaf The Emirati and Bahraini agree-
and 20,000 new immigrants arrived. I can’t see.” (Abigail Klein Leichman, Ahmad Al-Habtoor, Arab News - Saudi ments with Israel upend decades of sti-
The Jewish population is 6.841 mil- Israel21c) Arabia) fling status quo and fruitless political
lion (74%). Israel’s Arab population is A BRAVE NEW DAWN IN UAE-ISRAEL TREATY orthodoxies that have failed to advance
1.946 million (21%). (Jerusalem Post) the cause of a genuine, positive peace.
ARAB-ISRAELI RELATIONS IS FAR LARGER STEP In time, the Gulf’s embrace of Israel
ISRAEL’S MILITARY Some of my fellow Arabs, who have TOWARD PEACE THAN could even encourage Egypt and Jor-
INCLUSION PROGRAM no solution as to how to better the lives CRITICS ALLEGE dan to move toward a warmer peace
INSPIRES NEW U.S. of Palestinians, instead prefer to hang ‹ The UAE-Israel Peace Treaty with the Israelis. (Varsha Koduvayur
CORPS OF HONOR on to the same old rhetoric and unreal- commits the two countries to a re- and David Daoud, Foreign Policy)
istic scenarios that belong in the mid-
Chris Neeley, whose son has Down 20 century. I have been a supporter of lationship far warmer than the cold WHAT WAS IN THE
th
syndrome, is starting an American the Palestinians all my life, but I’m a peace Israel has with Egypt and ABRAHAM ACCORDS
version of Israel’s military inclusion realist. I cannot remain stuck in some Jordan (outside the security field). SIGNED IN WASHINGTON?
program, Special in Uniform, so that fantasyland and neither do I wait indef- ‹ It will facilitate peace by showing
young adults with intellectual and initely for miracles. that Arab governments and their ‹ The Declaration of Peace, Cooper-
physical disabilities can serve their Like it or not, Israel exists as an citizens benefit more by partnering ation, and Constructive Diplomat-
country. economic powerhouse under the un- with Israel than by seeking to iso- ic and Friendly Relations between
Neeley, a major in the U.S. Army wavering protective umbrella of the late or dismantle it. the State of Israel and the Kingdom
National Guard, is a special-education U.S. To imagine that boycotting Israe- ‹ The UAE’s commitment to sweep- of Bahrain is a bilateral, non-bind-
administrator and chair of the Presi- li goods will force the collapse of the ing government-to-government ing declaration expressing the joint
dent’s Committee for People with In- state is infantile. The Palestinians, who cooperation with Israel, close peo- intentions of the two parties to en-
tellectual Disabilities. “When I saw still insist on the right of return for ref- ple-to-people relations with Israe- ter into negotiations on a series of
what the Israel Defense Forces did to ugees who are in Syria, Jordan, Leba- lis, and other stark departures from agreements in 12 fields of normal-
include them among their ranks, I real- non and elsewhere, know full well that the zero-sum Palestinian agenda ization.
ized this innovative approach could be is never going to happen. represent a remarkable strategic ‹ The declaration includes agree-
a model for the United States,” he said. There are two million Palestinians pivot. (Orde Kittrie, National In- ment to establish “a culture of
Neeley has visited some of the who have Israeli nationality. Most take terest) peace,” an expression which also
28 bases where about 450 Special pride in their Arab heritage, yet are THE EMIRATI AND appears in the Israel-UAE Peace
in Uniform soldiers are stationed. “I content to call themselves Arab Israe- Agreement.
was blown away. I talked to the com- lis. It is beyond time for the Palestin- BAHRAINI AGREEMENTS ‹ The preamble to the Treaty of
manders about how the integration has ians to quit blaming everyone else for WITH ISRAEL ARE Peace, Diplomatic Relations and
helped relieve some of the garrison the situation they find themselves in REVOLUTIONARY Full Normalization between the
responsibilities like logistics, food ser- today. The UAE and Bahrain deals with Is- United Arab Emirates and the
rael set the stage for a sea change in State of Israel includes a unique
reference to the Arab and Jewish
Arab-Israeli relations, as ties between
IT’S SO
I T ’S S O Israel and the Gulf have grown expo- of Abraham, and the concomitant
common heritage, as descendants
nentially in recent years. Because the
need “to foster in the Middle East
UAE and Bahrain are regional busi-
a reality in which Muslims, Jews,
ness hubs, the two peace deals will
Christians and peoples of all faiths,
facilitate interactions between Israelis
EASY
EASY! and thousands of expatriate workers denominations, beliefs and nation-
!
alities live in, and are committed
from across the Arab and Islamic world
to a spirit of coexistence, mutual
whose home countries have hostile re-
understanding and respect.” (Amb.
lations with Israel, if any.
Even if the process is incremental,
Public Affairs)
creating a space for these populations Alan Baker, Jerusalem Center for
to interact with each other for the first continued on page 39A
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