How today’s historic Middle East agreement happened

This morning, President Trump officially secured the first agreement to normalize relations between Israel and a major Arab country in decades.

“Just a few moments ago, I hosted a very special call with two friends—Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed of the United Arab Emirates—where they agreed to finalize a historical peace agreement,” President Trump announced. “Everybody said this would be impossible.”

The United Arab Emirates becomes the first major Arab state to recognize Israel since the Israel-Jordan Peace Treaty was signed on October 26, 1994. Today’s action is the most significant step toward peace in the Middle East in more than 25 years.

Watch: President Trump announces historic Middle East deal

How did it happen? For the past three and half years, President Trump built trust with our regional allies and changed their strategic calculus. He identified shared interests and common opportunities, moving them away from perpetuating old conflicts.

“You can’t solve problems that have gone unsolved by doing it the same way that people before you have tried and failed,” Advisor to the President Jared Kushner said.

When President Trump took office in 2017, there was tremendous unrest across the Middle East. Iran’s aggression was being felt throughout the region. ISIS’ caliphate had grown to the size of Ohio. Many of America’s crucial regional allies felt abandoned.

READ: Joint Statement of the United States, Israel, and the UAE

The Trump Administration went right to work building trust:

The ISIS caliphate was destroyed, and terrorist leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was brought to justice.
After decades of past U.S. presidents promising on the campaign trail to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem—only to break that promise once in office—President Trump made it happen.
After nearly two decades of war, America under President Trump is bringing troops home from the Middle East. In February, the United States reached a historic agreement with the Taliban that secured important commitments necessary to finally end the conflict in Afghanistan responsibly.

Here at home, the President’s commitment to energy independence has made America less dependent on foreign oil—bolstering our national security, lifting our economy, and improving U.S. foreign policy in the process.

“What we see today is a new Middle East,” U.S. Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook said. “The trend lines are very different today.”

Jared Kushner: We’ve made historic strides toward peace

Now, opening direct ties between two of the Middle East’s most dynamic economies, Israel and the UAE, will transform the region by spurring economic growth, enhancing technological innovation, and forging closer people-to-people relations.

“They’re the two most capable countries in the Middle East—two very capable, very skilled, very innovative allies of the United States,” National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien said. “So it’s great for Israel, it’s great for the UAE, but it’s also great for . . . the American people.”

Today’s historic agreement has been named the Abraham Accord. “Abraham, as many of you know, was the father of all three great faiths. He is referred to as ‘Abraham’ in the Christian faith, ‘Ibrahim’ in the Muslim faith, and ‘Avraham’ in the Jewish faith,” U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman said in the Oval Office today.

“No person better symbolizes the potential for unity among all these three great faiths than Abraham.”

President Trump: Progress is happening that no one thought possible

MORE: The President knew it was time for a new approach to peace