Sledgehammer

More about the book

For over a century, the Middle East has been embroiled in conflicts. In 2020, the U.S. facilitated historic peace deals between Israel and several Arab nations, marking a significant diplomatic breakthrough. The Abraham Accords established normalized relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan, Kosovo, and Morocco, resulting from the efforts of a small, inexperienced team led by Ambassador David Friedman. This account reveals the origins and successful negotiation of the accords, challenging the notion that extensive experience and deep regional knowledge are prerequisites for diplomacy. Instead, Friedman argues that both sides often exploited this belief to delay agreements, hoping for better terms later. As the prospects for a peace plan between Israel and the Palestinians dimmed due to political chaos and the pandemic, Friedman and his team seized the opportunity to negotiate five significant agreements with Arab nations. He recognized that a new future was achievable in the present, emphasizing the need for U.S. involvement to avoid losing this chance. This narrative takes readers from the Oval Office to the highest levels of power in the Middle East, offering an inside look at the intense negotiations that led to this landmark achievement, showcasing the hard work required to foster lasting peace in a turbulent region.