Israel signs peace deal with UAE, Bahrain

The historic “Abraham Accords” establishing relations between Israel and two of its Arab neighbors were written in English, Hebrew, and Arabic. Foreign Ministers Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates and Abdullatif bin Rashid al-Zayani of Bahrain joined Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Donald Trump in front of the White House on Tuesday to sign the pact. “We’re here this afternoon to change the course of history,” Trump said.

What do the agreements mean? For decades, Israel only maintained diplomatic relations with two Arab nations: Egypt and Jordan. The Middle Eastern leaders thanked Trump and other U.S. negotiators for brokering the deal, which gives Israel official recognition and allows the countries to exchange ambassadors. All four leaders predicted more nations in the region would follow suit. “Those who bear the wounds of war cherish the blessings of peace,” Netanyahu said.

Dig deeper: Read Mindy Belz’s analysis of the deal in Globe Trot.