South Florida Jewish leaders react to Bahrain–Israel agreement
Several South Florida Jewish leaders shared their thoughts regarding the Bahrain–Israel normalization agreement.
The agreement was announced by President Donald Trump on Sept. 11 and formally signed on Sept. 15 at a ceremony on the White House lawn. Bahrain became the fourth Arab nation to have full diplomatic ties with Israel, after Egypt, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates, which agreed to a peace agreement with the Jewish state last month and also signed its deal at the White House ceremony.
“Bahrain joining such a short time after the announcement of the agreement with the UAE came as no surprise,” said Galit Peleg, interim consul general of Israel in Miami.
Peleg continued, “Things are changing in the Middle East in several aspects at the same time.”
“The map of the Middle East has changed in the last two decades from a very strong opposition against Israel, to a totally different equation,” she noted.
Brian Siegal, director for the American Jewish Committee’s Miami and Broward Office, said, “This is a very positive step and a great opportunity for Israel, Bahrain and the entire region.”
“AJC, the leading global Jewish advocacy organization, has been traveling to the Gulf region for more than 25 years, advancing mutual understanding and trust," Siegal continued. “Bahrain welcomed the first AJC delegation in 1995. Here in Miami, we met last year with Shaikh Abdullah bin Rashid Al Khalifa, ambassador of Bahrain to the United States. It was a very positive meeting and we have continued to build connections with Bahrain.”
There are members of Jewish Voice for Peace’s South Florida chapter who do not support the agreement.
“Like the deal with the UAE, Israel’s deal with Bahrain only serves to strengthen repressive regimes while denying the Palestinian people their basic human rights,” said Donna Nevel, a community psychologist and educator in Miami Beach who describes herself as a Jewish social justice activist. “These deals are, in essence, arms and security deals that would further destabilize the region while helping Trump get re-elected.”
Ken Barnes of Miami said, “I definitely don’t think this advances peace in the Middle East, and in fact, further alienates the Palestinians, making it less likely they will want to enter any agreement as they become more and more invisible.”
However, Peleg noted, “More Arab countries are getting tired of waiting for the Palestinians.”
“If in the past Israel used to say, ‘the Palestinians never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity,’ it seems that even the Arab League is no longer willing to sit and wait to see what the Palestinians will say. The Gulf countries have decided to take action.”
Evan Nierman, founder and CEO of Red Banyan, a global public relations and communications firm with an office in Fort Lauderdale that has represented many pro-Israel and Jewish organizations, said, “It doesn’t surprise me that Bahrain is next in line to establish relations with Israel given that they hosted the ‘Peace to Prosperity’ summit last June.”
“It’s exciting to see these moderate Arab nations working together with Israel in broad daylight,” Nierman, who is based in the firm’s Fort Lauderdale office, said.
However, Ed Wujciak of Hollywood, a member of JVP’s South Florida chapter, said, “While diplomatic ties can be helpful, they are seldom sufficient for peace.”
“True peace in the Middle East will only be achieved when all the countries begin to respect both their neighbor countries and all of the people of the region.”
Another local member of JVP, Lily Ostrer of Miami, said, “Unfortunately, the dangerous alliance made between Israel and Bahrain, which falls on the heels of the Israel-UAE deal, shows us that other Middle Eastern countries are complicit in the denial of Palestinian human rights."
“Nonetheless, there is a wide and strong global network supporting Palestinian liberation,” Ostrer noted. “This political move does not represent the popular will of the people in Bahrain, the UAE or on the global stage. As a Jewish person, I will continue to stand up for the human rights of Palestinian people and against any propaganda to diminish the struggle for Palestinian liberation.”
Matthew Levin, president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County, praises the deal.
“This agreement has been a long time coming, and it’s gratifying to see nations like Bahrain and UAE coming out and forming these mutually beneficial partnerships publicly with Israel,” Levin said. “I applaud the Bahraini, Israeli and U.S. governments for working together to make the region a safer place.”
———
©2020 the Sun Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)
Visit the Sun Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) at www.sun-sentinel.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
