(March 6, 2023 / JNS) In this episode of “Our Middle East,” Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs President Dan Diker and Fellow Khaled Abu Toameh host Malcolm Hoenlein, the vice chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, for a discussion on political developments in the Middle East since the Abraham Accords and how they have affected the Israel-Palestinian relationship.

They hold that although Israeli-Palestinian relations seem to have worsened, relations between Arab countries and Israel have drastically improved, with further normalization agreements on the horizon. 

Despite the Palestinian leadership still believing that the Arab world should support them unconditionally, Arab countries are now willing to break ranks. As Hoenlein puts it: “So, contrary to those expectations, Israel is seen as the source of stability in the region, not instability…. I can tell you that major Arab leaders said to us, if I asked my people to name the top 50 issues, this wouldn’t even make it that. They want relations with Israel.… they’re tired of being held hostage by the Palestinians…”

On other hand, many in the Western media, governments and even some Jewish organizations have adopted the idea of the centricity of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and have criticized Israel as being the bad actor in the region. They are unwittingly reducing the likelihood of peace in the region and acting against the interests of the Palestinian people. As Abu Toumeh posits: “Those who endorsed the narrative of the Palestinian Authority, whether they are some American Jews…or Europeans or others, they’re causing damage to the peace process or to any future peace process between Israel and the Palestinians. And they’re doing a big disservice and damage even to the Palestinian people.”

Dan Diker is the President of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, a foreign policy expert and the Former Secretary General of the World Zionist Congress.

Khaled Abu Toameh is an award-winning Arab-Israeli journalist and TV producer. He covers Palestinian Affairs for the Jerusalem Post.