Israel, Bahrain, and the UAE have stressed the concern they share over Iran's nuclear program, ballistic missiles, and its activities across the Middle East, and the joint regional position on these issues will likely be used to exert greater influence on the United States. However, the question remains, how much of that will US President Joe Biden heed?

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With the Palestinian Authority calling its first general election since 2006, and Biden's indication of his desire to re-join the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, this will mean that negations will take place as Iran most likely asks the Hamas terrorist group controlling the Gaza Strip to hijack the election, meaning chances of them taking over PLO will be very high.

This act could infiltrate the idea of peace, and certify the Iranian revolutionary guards mini-state on the borders of Jorden and Israel.

The Biden administration should understand that the situation is no longer the same as it was during Obama's presidency. President Trump may have a negative reputation, but he has succeeded in changing the perception of power in the Middle East and with it the impact Iran has within it.

The Gulf states are no longer weak, but countries like Bahrain, despite its small geographic size , have become influential and have played a major role in supporting Egypt in its fight against the Muslim Brotherhood and terrorism, and participated in the war against Iran's militia in Yemen.

The United Arab Emirates was also able to succeed in changing the military and political equation in Libya and in imposing a reality that made the world stand with Abu Dhabi by demanding the expulsion of Turkey's militia from western Libya.

With the support of the Gulf states, Sudan is now in more secure than ever. With the mediation of the Gulf states, Morocco and Sudan entered the circle of peace with Israel. The Arab world's economic and military power is currently concentrated in the Arabian Gulf, and all Arab countries view Gulf Cooperation Council member-states as developed, successful, and prosperous.

It is clear that America will not undermine its own interests in the Gulf in order to favor Iran. However, what Washington should remember is that if the Gulf states are forced to make a firm decision, they will do so – just as they did during the Obama presidency.

In March 2011, the GCC responded to a request from Bahrain by sending its Peninsula Shield Force to assist the Bahraini government in defeating Iranian backed riots in the country, which were ostensibly supported by Obama's administration. Times like these cannot be forgotten, and now the Emirates and Bahrain have found a strong and resolute ally in Israel.

Over the years, this ally has not changed its position and has continued to refuse any negotiations with the Iranian regime. However, the US has and will continue to change its positions – and allies – with every change of presidency.

What needs to be made clear to Biden is that the Arab world understands that not much separates the Iranian regime from the Nazis – the only difference is that Iran is in the Middle East.

The Iranians have continuously proven to be fascist and racist towards all Arabs. Since the 1970s, the Iranians have occupied three of UAE's islands. Iran has murdered millions of Arabs by inflicting and supporting multiple wars, such as the ones in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen, and it has supported every terrorist attack in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait.

The citizens as well as the governors of GCC member-states know that Israel was not responsible for blast explosions near the Kaaba, and it did not target Mecca with  missiles. Israel does not bankroll militias that kill people of Iraq and Yemen, nor did it occupy Syria, Ahwaz, and the Emirates Islands. Rather, Iran is responsible for all of the aforementioned atrocities and the ayatollahs continue to prove that they are the enemies of the Arab nations and of humanity at large.

Now is the time that we should unite in order to thrive together. We should stand together as one against one enemy. Regardless of Biden's suggestion return to square one by re-joining the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, we need to live in peace and prosperity and allow coexistence and mutual culture and religious understandings to thrive.

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Anti-Semitism is on the march. From Tunisian President Kais Saied's recent remarks blaming the country's unrest on "thieving Jews," to Kuwait's top preacher Othman Al-Khamees calling Jews "the brothers of apes and pigs" and declaring that the United Arab Emirates' Abrahamic Family House should not be shared with Jews, anti-Semitism has been given a new lease of life.

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Recent anti-Semitic statements made by the prominent Al-Khamees have sparked widespread controversy on social media and in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) societies. He claimed that the Jewish people are a nation of no faith and condemned the construction of an interfaith center in the UAE, the Abrahamic Family House, which will include a synagogue, church and mosque.

Al-Khamees went so far as to claim that the three-in-one religious complex constitutes an act of "infidelity." He denounced placing what he referred to as the "distorted Bible and Torah" next to the Koran, questioned the project's motives and claimed that the Jews are people of "no belief and dignity."

In addition, he uploaded a video to his public YouTube channel (dated Dec. 23) stating that the Jews can be referred to "as the brothers of apes and pigs because essentially, they became like them."

The question is: How can countries such as Kuwait, which is considered a constitutional sovereign state with a semi-democratic political system considered a liberal constitution in the GCC, allow and give Al-Khamees a platform to attack the Jewish people and the Abrahamic Accords in such anti-Semitic terms. Meanwhile, Kuwait continues to host thousands of US military personnel and contractors, many of whom are from a Jewish background.

Anti-Semitism can be manifested in many ways – ranging from expressions of hatred and discrimination against individual Jews, to organized pogroms by mobs or police forces, to attacks on entire Jewish communities and the Jewish faith. The recent speeches made by Al-Khamees are a clear example of anti-Semitic incitement.

The Jewish community has seen and experienced these acts of anti-Semitism on multiple occasions. From the first accusation made in the second century (false claims that faulted the Jews for the death of Jesus), the blood libel, the pogroms, the dissemination of the forged document commonly called The Protocols of the Elders of Zion to the Nazi attempt to carry out Die Endlösung ("The Final Solution"), anti-Semitism continues to take many forms.

The Abraham Accords hope to bring change to situations like these. In order to gain true justice, radicals such as the Islamist cleric in Kuwait should be condemned and confronted for his anti-Jewish acts.

Sadly, Al-Khamees is not alone. The Middle East saw another recent example of controversy over anti-Semitism with the remarks made by Saied. Amid a heated discussion about the ongoing political unrest in the country, the Tunisian president casually referred to the Jews as "thieving Jews," implying that they might be behind Tunisia's turmoil.

Saied, a political newcomer elected back in 2019 in an alliance with the Muslim Brotherhood, is no stranger to anti-Semitic remarks as he continues to maintain a strong anti-Israeli stance. During his campaign, he said that any attempt to normalize ties with Israel, which he referred to exclusively as a "Zionist entity," constitutes high treason.

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Anti-Semitic acts have always surged to the surface in times of social, political and economic uncertainty, such as our current global context, now made much worse by the coronavirus pandemic. Despite the fact that health authorities the world over unanimously agree that COVID-19 originated in China, anti-Semites in the Gaza Strip, Iran and Yemen have found a way to blame the pandemic on Jews.

During these times, unity between all is vital, and there should be no tolerance for preachers and leaders who choose to frighten or threaten us. We will thrive together with the Jewish state of Israel, and stand against brutality and racism. The Abraham Accords has created a new and different future for the Middle East – one in which anti-Semitism is rejected, and harmony between all religions is embraced.

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

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