It took a decade for the Arab Spring to mature and yield fruit that isn't rotten. The great historic symbolism of the peace deal between Israel and Sudan lies not only in the public revocation of the Arab policy that obstinately refused to recognize Israel, expressed in the famous "three no's" of the Khartoum Conference 53 years ago, but also the context of the 10th anniversary of the Arab Spring two months from now. The popular uprising that began then led to a tectonic shift that continues to shake the ground beneath our feet.
The terrible civil wars in Syria, Yemen, and Libya; the Islamic State's barbarism in Syria and Iraq; the Muslim Brotherhood's rise to power in Egypt, Tunisia, and Morocco and their attempts to destabilize the entire Middle East with help from Turkey and Qatar; the Obama administration's betrayal of the US's traditional allies; the restraint and responsibility shows by Israel's governments during such a fateful time for the region; and above all the implosion of the false propaganda that the Arab conflict with Israel was the central problem in the Middle East and only a solution to it would solve the social, economic, and political ills of the peoples of the region – if none of these had taken place, it's very doubtful that Israel would have reached the exciting historic event of securing peace and normalization agreements with three important Arab states within three months.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter
The "false peace" camp and its arms in the Knesset, public office, and the media, fought peace with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Sudan using the last weapon it had left – populist, deceptive semantics. They claim that the agreements aren't peace deals, but only normalization, since Israel never fought wars with these countries. In their tradition of rewriting history, the same propagandists have forgotten that the UAE instigated the oil boycott of the 1970s as part of its economic war on Israel, and that Sudan was an active partner in conflict that gave shelter to Islamist terrorist organizations and allowed Iran to use its territory to send weapons to Hamas. Sudan also functioned as a base of operations for Hezbollah. It's no coincidence that airstrikes in Sudan were attributed to Israel.
The removal of Sudan from the circle of Israel's enemies is a strategic achievement that goes far beyond its symbolic significance, because it will help Israel sign a fifth peace agreement with a country that is a member of the Arab League, and also strengthen its presence in Africa, a close and important continent on which a double war is being waged. The first, to check the spread of radical Islam in eastern and western Africa, and the second, to stop the BDS campaign being waged against Israel from southern Africa. After too many years of neglect, Israel has renewed its interest in Africa and expanded its ties there. Renewed relations with Chad and now the start of relations with Sudan are important components to creating a new status for Israel in Africa that is not based solely on alliances with Christian-majority nations.
Sudan, of course, is very different from the UAE. While the deal with the Emirates entails equal opportunities for both sides, Sudan has much more to gain from good relations with Israel. Its removal from the US list of state sponsors of terrorism, which will allow investment in its collapsing economy, is only one of the fruits of peace Sudan can expect to enjoy. The country is undergoing a process of political transformation. Since its was founded, Sudan has had a few short-lived periods of democracy, military coups, dictatorships, and civil wars that went as far as genocide. Sudan's unique situation will require Israel to take a very cautious approach in forming ties with all groups of its population.
And there is, of course, the issue of illegal Sudanese migrants in Israel. Is Israel starting to make serious preparations for the new era of peace? Is Israel ready to handle a mass influx of immigrants from states that are now signing peace and normalization agreements with it? Are there clear restrictions on entry to Israel and maximum stays that can be effectively enforced by Israel, or will we see the same problems Israel currently has with the Eritreans? And what about family reunification, marriage, and citizenship? These are issues Israel should consider now.
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!
