O pinion
Stroul Continued from Page 14
but also its social-political form
most recently manifested in
Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated
parties in Egypt and Turkey.

This shared view of regional
threats opened opportunities
for cooperation in the security
and intelligence sectors, and also
relationship building.

Building on the founda-
tion of security collaboration,
Israel and Gulf governments
and private sectors were
already testing the waters
of expanded engagement.

Oil-dependent Arab govern-
ments, recognizing the urgent
need for economic diversifi-
cation, desire access to Israeli
know-how in technology, alter-
native energy, irrigation and
desert agriculture, health care
and science. The COVID-19
pandemic accelerated these
trends with specific interest in
medical sector collaboration.

Israeli-Arab cultural engage-
ments were also already
accelerating. In 2018 an Israeli
judo team, and in February 2020
an Israeli cycling team, competed
in the UAE. Israel was invited
to present a booth at the Dubai
World Expo 2020, now postponed
until 2021. Planning for an Israeli
team at the World Cup 2022
hosted in Qatar is underway,
including Israeli spectators.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu visited Oman in 2018,
and thousands of Moroccans and
Israeli tourists visit each other’s
countries every year.

The texts signed at the White
House are noteworthy for
their future-oriented vision of
partnership and mutual benefit.

Israel, the UAE and Bahrain
must now focus on the practical
steps required to scale up
relations — civil aviation agree-
ments, banking relationships,
navigating each other’s private
sectors, and preparing hotels
and tourism sites to receive new
groups of foreigner visitors.

Other governments in the
region are watching closely as
they consider bringing their
own relationships with Israel
out from under the table. How
tangible are the economic
benefits? Can the Emirati and
Bahraini models be replicated
to effectively prepare citizens
for interaction in this refreshed
strategic milieu?
To be sure, these important
normalization agreements do
not augur a new Middle East
or remove the most pressing
threats to Israel, especially
on its borders. The regime in
Iran continues its pursuit of a
nuclear weapon and its support
for a terrorist threat network.

Lebanese Hezbollah remains
entrenched with its missile
arsenal on Israel’s northern
border. Also in the north, a
civil war rages on in Syria
with dictator Bashar al-Assad
working hand in hand with
Iran and Hezbollah. An active
ISIS affiliate retains the ability
to launch lethal attacks in Sinai
on Israeli’s southern border.

To the east, the fragile yet
obstinate Palestinian Authority
continues to muddle through
in the West Bank. And to the
west, Hamas retains control of
the Gaza Strip, using the area
to launch explosive balloons
and rockets at Israeli popula-
tion centers as recently as the
same day as the White House
ceremony. Going forward, the U.S.-Israel
relationship will mostly remain
unchanged. Despite criti-
cism from certain members of
Congress directed at specific
Israeli government policies,
the ironclad commitment to
Israel’s security will hold fast.

The long-standing U.S. priority
to improve relations between
Israel and its Arab neighbors
will continue. This is a matter
not just of national security —
coordinating counter-Iran and
counterterrorism policies — but
also of interest in ensuring that
Israel is able to thrive as the
Jewish and democratic state.

Both the Trump administration
and the Biden campaign pledged
to continue the important work
of normalizing ties between
Israel and its neighbors in the
region. What remains elusive,
however, is a viable peace
process between Israel and
the Palestinians that leads
to two states. Indeed, bipar-
tisan resolutions lauding the
UAE and Bahrain normal-
ization agreements — in the
House of Representatives and
the Senate — highlighted the
long-standing U.S. priority to
resolve the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict so that both peoples are
ultimately able to live side by
side in peace and security. l
Clergy Continued from Page 15
For Jews, like other margin-
alized groups around the
world, the shocking examples
of hate activity and growth
of far-right hate groups —
in particular those spouting
anti-Semitism — add fuel to
this already devastating mix of
fires burning through Jewish
clergy energy at this moment.

For these and so many
other reasons, we, a cross-de-
nominational collaboration of
movement leaders and clergy
support organizations, invite
Jewish clergy to join our initia-
tive called #HeshbonHeshvan,
an opportunity to rest, renew
and rejuvenate during the first
week of Heshvan, from Sunday,
Oct. 18 through Thursday, Oct.

22 (and through Shabbat, a
true day of rest, if possible).

In Elul, Jews perform
a heshbon hanefesh, an
accounting of the soul, as
we prepare for the holidays
in Tishrei. Once the holidays
conclude, we begin the
month of Heshvan, a month
void of Jewish holidays.

Through #HeshbonHeshvan
we perform an accounting of
our self-care as we find new
ways to rejuvenate so that we
may continue to care for our
communities. As we encourage
#JewishClergySelfCare, we will
Dana Stroul is the Shelly and
offer free virtual opportuni-
ties for clergy to relax, renew
Michael Kassen senior fellow at the
and recharge as we Breathe,
Washington Institute for Near East
Create, Dance, Laugh, Learn,
Policy. Previously, she covered the
Sing and Support. This is open
Middle East on the Senate Foreign
to all Jewish clergy, all over the
Relations Committee and in the
world, working in all types of
Office of the Secretary of Defense.

This piece originally appeared in JTA. settings.

Likewise, we are inviting
our congregations, day schools,
Hillels, Jewish continuing care
facilities, yeshivot, organiza-
tions and every other places that
employ Jewish clergy to Take
the Pledge to avoid additional
programming, meetings and
demands on your clergy in
order to support this initia-
tive for #JewishClergySelfCare.

Communities that Take the
Pledge will be celebrated
publicly. Even if clergy do not want
to participate in any of our
online programming, we hope
you will give them some space
and an opportunity to recharge.

We support the concept that
#JewishClergySelfCare comes
in many forms. Our goal is to
encourage this exploration,
foster hevruta (partnership), and
engage commitment to self-care,
so it may truly be a happy and
healthy new year for all.

As has been said many
times, “You cannot pour from
an empty cup.” We believe
our Jewish clergy, who have
worked so hard and so long for
the sake of our communities,
deserve a moment to fill up and
enjoy a cos rivaya (full goblet)
once again. l
Rabbi Elyse Wechterman is
the executive director of the
Reconstructionist Rabbinical
Association. Rabbi Ilana Garber
is the director of global rabbinic
development for the Rabbinical
Assembly. #HeshbonHeshvan
#JewishClergySelfCare is a joint
project of the RRA, RA, CCAR,
CA, USCJ, RJ, Institute for Jewish
Spirituality (IJS) and more. This
piece originally appeared at
ejewishphilanthropy.com. Join the conversation!
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