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Warm Peace and the Challenge of People-to-People Relations after the Abraham Accords
(Washington Institute for Near East Policy) Nir Boms and Ahmed Khuzaie - The Abraham Accords were crafted in a very different spirit than the earlier peace agreements between Israel and Jordan or Egypt, after which actual people-to-people (P2P) relations remained effectively nonexistent. In contrast, a very different energy arose with over 127 memorandums signed since August 2020 that have established new connections, trade, and collaboration in a number of fields. We are able to vouch for the very positive, open, and friendly atmosphere that we have repeatedly encountered at zoom events, visits, and meetings. At the same time, while Israeli NGOs flocked to Dubai looking for partners, many Israelis may have failed to recognize that their Arab counterparts were still unprepared to move forward given the complexities of the situation domestically, and they lacked the necessary structures to engage in P2P work. Past and current public opinion makes them more cautious. Some welcome the change, while others are not happy but keep it to themselves, and the rest shout their rejection from the rooftops. There remains a lack of familiarity with the other. Both parties operate differently and are subject to different internal sensitivities. Some caution and wisdom must be applied when building these channels so that they will succeed. Dr. Nir Boms is a research fellow at the Dayan Center for Middle East Studies at Tel Aviv University. Ahmed Khuzaie is a political consultant with Khuzaie Associates in Washington.