Galit ronen
09/16/2021 8:44 PM
Clarín.com
Opinion
Updated 09/16/2021 8:44 PM
In these challenging times, it is natural to look for beacons of hope and optimism, especially for peace.
One memory that comes to mind is the arrival of President Anwar el-Sadat from Egypt to Israel in 1979, as part of the first peace agreement that Israel signed in the region.
I was 14 years old and I remember as if it were yesterday to see the Egyptian president arrive on television in the land of Israel, a moment of tears and emotion;
it was a dream coming true, a dream that seemed like a utopia.
It was a fact that marked the beginning of the construction of the path to peace with our Arab neighbors, a circle that continued to expand with dialogue, effort and courage.
Today we can also focus on a beacon that continues to illuminate the path to a better future in the Middle East.
A year ago, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, with the mediation of the United States, signed the historic peace agreements and normalization of diplomatic relations, known as the Abraham Accords.
In this spirit, a few months later, Israel also signed a peace agreement with Morocco and established another with Sudan, continuing the path of peace that we want for the future of our region.
The ceremony on September 15, 2020 on the White House lawn was a historic and unforgettable event, with the potential to transform the Middle East.
On their anniversary, we celebrate the Agreements with the remarkable achievements made in just one year.
For years, Israel worked behind the scenes to establish diplomatic and economic relations with other moderate states in the region.
It took wisdom to come to recognize that Israel is an integral and permanent part of the Middle East with much to contribute to its stability and prosperity.
Vision was required to prioritize the future and contemplate what links the peoples of the region.
It took courage to accept that peace is not the shameful compromise that hostile actors claim it to be, but a victory for all that is good in humanity.
The Accords are strengthening ties between nations and peoples.
Warm relationships are projected from national leaders into all aspects of society, and are currently thriving among individuals and societies.
Interactions between people have grown exponentially.
Interesting opportunities were also created for regional and international cooperation in the fields of energy, sustainability, tourism, security and much more, with dozens of signed bilateral agreements.
Israel believes in peace and longs to establish peaceful relations with all its neighbors, continuing the regional development initiated with the Accords.
Israel believes that this spirit can bring change to the conflict and establish peaceful coexistence with its closest neighbors, the Palestinians, because, after all, peace creates peace.
In addition, the normalization process serves to effectively consolidate moderate forces in the region in the face of shared threats, providing a counterbalance to the Iranian threat.
The courageous steps taken represent the decision to build together a future that benefits all of our peoples.
As in a dream come true, the diplomatic representatives in Argentina of the Arab countries with which Israel maintains relations celebrated at the same table the cutting of the Yom Kippur fast and the first anniversary of this historic event, and we continue to toast for peace.
These Accords have illuminated the way to a hopeful new reality in the Middle East, which will improve the well-being of its people and bring peace, security and prosperity to all.
And hope will always prevail.
Galit Ronen is ambassador of the State of Israel in Argentina
