I have noted before that I grew up in Dubai, one of the United Arab Emirates. From 1980-1990, my family lived in an ungated community in the middle of the city down the street from the Iranian Hospital with the Jumeirah American School just one long block up the road. We walked to school every day.
The school changed its name to the American School of Dubai the year after I graduated. It moved locations. The current school at the old location is the Jumeirah Baccalaureate School. My old house is all that remains of my neighborhood. The whole place got leveled and rebuilt, except my house on the corner at 27 Sheikh Rashid Villas, which is now No. 39 on 32b Street, Dubai, UAE. The only reason my house remained is because it became a doctor’s office some time after we moved home in the run up to the first Gulf War.
Growing up, our history and geography textbooks all had pages missing or redacted. Anything that referenced Israel got taken out by censors. Maps of the Eastern Mediterranean had Israel either relabeled as Palestine or simply scribbled out with black Sharpie.
In ninth grade, my class went to Greece. At the base of the Acropolis is the Athens Agora. I remember a bunch of flags and our teacher pointing one out that was white with blue stripes and a blue star. None of knew it was the Israeli flag. That flag had either been cut out or redacted from our textbooks. The World Book Encyclopedia and Encyclopedia Britannica had pages misses and redacted in the library. Phone calls could not connect from Israel to the UAE. It was as if there were no phone lines between the two. We could not travel to Israel, and I have still never been to Israel. We could not reenter the UAE with an Israeli stamp in our passports.
It is of monumental importance that the UAE and Israel now are extending diplomatic relations to each other, recognizing each other, engaging in commerce with each other, and letting information and phone calls flow between the nations. Bahrain and Oman were similarly situated; Bahrain has also recognized Israel, and Oman will, too.
This is a huge win for the Trump administration. There is a credible argument that the nations were induced into acting together because they fear the United States will not help them in a skirmish with Iran. But the Trump administration did play a role in brokering this deal, and the president does deserve credit.
Barack Obama received the peace prize merely for showing up; President Donald Trump has exceeded that standard here. And, yes, Obama got the Nobel Peace Prize merely for showing up.
On Tuesday, after the historic meeting of the nations at the White House, most of the American media downplayed it. The websites at CNN, The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times and USA Today either did not mention the summit or minimized it. Reporters and pundits claimed that because Israel, Bahrain and the UAE had never been in a physical war, it was really no big deal.
The American media's response shows an ignorance of how Arab nations have treated Israel, including redacting Israel from textbooks, barring travel between the nations, refusing aviation flyovers and blocking telecommunications channels. It reveals that many of those who cover the news and pontificate on it have not lived lives with much exposure to the real world.
Remember, the talking heads claimed moving the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem would spark a war. Various pundits and most experts claimed as much, including former Secretary of State John F. Kerry. On MSNBC, the loud voices opposed to Trump said Trump moving the embassy would get a lot of people killed and undermine peace in the Middle East. They were wrong and now claim there was always peace.
This is an enormous deal, and Trump and Jared Kushner do both deserve some credit -- credit much of the media would prefer they not have, so they will ignore the story.
WHAT TRUMP HAS DONE IS TRULY AMAZING…IT COULD BE THE BEGINNING OF WORLD PEACE…A WORLD-WIDE RENAISSANCE COULD BE HAPPENING …IF AN WHEN THE MUSLIMS STOP HAVING TO KILL JEWS..THERE WILL BE A TRICKLE-DOWN EFFECT ALL OVER THE WORLD…IT WILL EFFECT ALL OF HUMANITY…WAR-MONGERS JUST MIGHT FADE AWAY….IF TRUMP GETS ANOTHER 4 YEARS ,,,,A WORLD-PEACE PROGRAM WILL BE SECURED…..MASS-MEDIA NEEDS TO START TELLING THE TRUTH ABOUT TRUMP AN THE PROGRESS HE IS MAKING IN REGARDS TO WE THE PEOPLE/ HUMANITY…HE IS THE FIRST PRESIDENT TO NOT START A WAR OR GO TO WAR IN 29 YEARS…JOHN LENNON SAID IT BEST…..LETS GIVE PEACE A CHANCE……WE WANT IT…WE CAN HAVE IT..LETS DO IT……
Looks like the Palestinians are on the outside looking in. That is their history, no leadership, and now Hamas controlling them. PAX on the mainstream media for down playing this event. All the diplomats and peace initiative
over the past 70 years failed as they were working the working the wrong side of the stick.
President Trump and his son in law are doing a bang up job in the middle east and elsewhere. No one else has done better. It just took a real business man to do the job. Too many lawyers have failed in DC. TRUMP gets our vote.
It seems the enmity between the Arabs and the Jews is just like that between the democRATS and republicans in the U.S. How an entire political party can devolve into a hateful organization that they will even allow domestic terrorism and anarchy to flourish all over the country is an absolute sign of mental derangement. Just like the hatred for the Jews by Arabs.
The Arab world you grew up in the1980’s was exceedingly different than it is now. Back then, the Arab world was still smarting from the wars with Israel in the 60’s and 70’s, hence, the redactions and the non-recognition. But times have changed drastically and dramatically in the last 30-40 years.
You basically inferred that Trump arranged a Peace treaty between Israel and 2 Arab countries. Trump’s people also called it a ‘Peace’ treaty. I realize that you know that it was NOT a Peace treaty but a mutual Agreement to exchange ambassadors and establish full diplomatic relations and further existing business relations that, in fact, had already been going on anyway. And as life has gone on over the last several decades, several of the Arab countries – particularly the smaller ones – want to join in on the financial and tech bounty that establishing broader relations with a leading tech country like Israel, which is right in their own backyard and is eagerly receptive also. At least, you gave a little recognition that the primary incentive and pathway to this new relationship was the mutual concern the 3 countries have about Iran. The Arab concerns about Iran started growing much larger at around the time of the USA administration change so Trump walked right into that opportunity. He and his son-in-law didn’t have to work that hard to attain it. It was made very easy due to foreign circumstances. Yes, he deserves a modicum of credit for bringing them together, but you are very much overdoing it as the time for this to take place just happened to be now. And any suggestion of the Nobel Peace Prize is totally ludicrous. People who get the Peace Prize are those that got it because of self-sacrifice, dedication to worldwide peace effort, etc. etc. Clearly, Trump’s only dedication is to himself and his staying in power for another 4 years or longer, if he could. In this long-time Republican’s opinion, he makes that obvious with every speech, every utterance and at every rally.
Ted: your words: “People who get the Peace Prize are those that got it because of self-sacrifice, dedication to worldwide peace effort, etc. etc.” So, remind me, what did Obama do to get it? President Trump deserves the credit for getting people together and making an agreement. No one else has done that!!
I am a proud TRUMPeter though my position expects me to be independent of have NO POLITICAL opinion,
Donald TRMUP is GOD’s choice for AMERIICANS , the USA and WORLD PEACE for TODAY, confimed by HIS decision to move the US Embassy from arab Tel Aviv to ZIONIST and CHRISTIAN JERUSALEM, in the same State as the 800 year earier predicted birth of Jesus: God in HUMAN form but incapable of SIN, NOT on December 25th, but during the JEWISH FESTIVAL of SUKKOTT (15th September – 16th Ocrober the Jewish Festival of GODD BECOMING. I am NOT Jewish (yjough my mother MIGHT ha been as she lived ibSeven Sisters’ Rad, London, before marruage, which was PREDOMINANANTLY JEWISH. I regard myself as a GOY ZONIST. My elder brother was CIRCUMCISED that adds supporting evidence. I was NOT, and there is DOUBT as to my Biological FATHER (who may NOT have agreed with the JEWISH tradion. To even MENTION (let alone compare) circumcision (loose skin of protective and decorative purpose) with EMOVAL of FEMALE GENITALIA is a complete and INTENTIONAL travesty of language!
We are Trump supporters. He is amazing, He speaks the Truth and only the Truth.
A good man with a good family we are blessed
Our country is under attack by the Media and Democrats. We have riots in cities with Liberal Governors.
This is a very painful time.
Thank you for your very beautiful story. Susan Krutsick
Obama receiving the Nobel Peace Prize absolutely CHEAPENED that award–he had war going on every night and day of his two terms! President Trump brought honor and class back to this award–I pray that he wins it.
Democrate Party and the Liberal Press are the forces of HATE in America, they choose to discredit and ignore truth and achievement. Shame on them and all that embrace this mentality.
This a great deal for all involved.
I have always believed that there would never be peace in the Middle East, for even the Bible leads us to that belief. What a wondrous change.