In mid-August 2020, diplomatic relations between Israel and the UAE were normalized, with direct flights and open telephone lines being some of the results. For the first time ever, telephone lines to Israel were unblocked by the United Arab Emirates. The agreement was concluded via a telephone conversation between US President Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed. In a joint statement, the three leaders said the UAE and Israel had “agreed to cooperate and set out a roadmap to establish bilateral relations”, and that Israel had agreed to halt the annexation of the so-called West Bank.

A few weeks after the agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain also signed a peace agreement with Israel. Bahrain, together with Saudi Arabia, has allowed flights from and to Israel to fly over its airspace. Bahrain was one of the first Arab countries to abandon the boycott against Israel when it signed a free trade agreement with the United States in 2005.

In October 2020, Israel and Sudan agreed to normalize their relations. Sudan has participated in several wars against Israel, and after the Six-Day War in 1967 – which was preceded by threats from Arab countries to once again try to wipe out Israel – the Arab League in Khartoum decided in September of the same year to say three historic No’s: “No to peace with Israel, No to a recognition of Israel, and No negotiations with Israel”.

In December 2020, Morocco followed the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan in establishing diplomatic relations with Israel. At the same time, the United States recognized Morocco’s claim to the disputed Western Sahara region. Morocco had then officially been at war with Israel since 1948, when Morocco had a large Jewish population of about 250,000 people. The anti-Jewish riots of 1948 in connection with the proclamation of the State of Israel eventually forced the majority of Moroccan Jews to flee to Israel.

The above agreements mean that there are now six Arab countries that have made peace with Israel. Egypt had already concluded a peace agreement with Israel in 1979 through the then Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin, and in 1994 Israel and Jordan also signed a peace agreement.