I am really disappointed to learn that the Biden administration’s State Dept. has instituted a name change for the Abraham Accords. President Biden refuses to refer to these historic peace agreements by their name, insisting instead on the bland, diminished “normalization agreements.”
Aside from the fact that refusing to name a previous administration’s chosen name for a historic achievement comes off as juvenile — an assertion of taking control of this new narrative on your own terms — there is power in a name. It is shortsighted for Biden to swap the Abraham Accords for Normalization Agreements.
While “normalization agreement” is accurate, “normal” sounds lackluster, standard . . . well, just normal and nothing more. In fact, normalization between peoples of the Middle East is anything but.
Even though Israel blessedly has peace agreements with its neighboring countries of Egypt and Jordan, these agreements are a “cold peace.” There is security collaboration and, thankfully, no war. But normalization? Hey come on over and walk around openly Jewish to our local kosher restaurant in Egypt or Jordan? No, that is absent. But that level of “normalization” is one of the brilliant facets of the Abraham Accords.
Frankly, those peace agreements with Egypt and Jordan always seemed wonderful because they seemed like the most Israel would ever get. And because friendship is ancillary to security.
Socializing? Openly expressing your Judaism? Friendship? These features of a peace agreement seemed like a pipe dream, like the biblical vision of the lamb lying with the lion.
Remarkably, miraculously, though, this transformation happened in our lifetime. Just this past year.
The United Arab Emirates recently announced it’s building a new complex for a mosque, a church, and a synagogue. This is remarkable for an Islamic country. Make no mistake, this is the fruit of the Abraham Accords.
Abraham Accords — these very words are so very powerful. “Normalization Agreements” — just another generic sounding file name.
Abraham Accords? It harkens to Abraham! The common forefather the Arab and Jewish nations. Within the span of two words lies an implied relationship, an implied shared experience, an implied ancestry. An implied common source. These two words, Abraham Accords, really say one word: family. That what it comes down to, Jews and Arabs are family.
What more than this should be accentuated when trying to build bridges of peace between Jews and Arabs?
Peace is such a rare and precious, never mind fragile thing. The space between peace and fragility is all too short. President Biden, please don’t make peace political. I humbly ask you, please reinstate the powerful name of these normalization agreements: Abraham Accords.
When a Jew and an Arab are walking together side by side in an Muslim country like the UAE, each enrobed in their respective regalia, be it a yarmulke or a keffiya, these are cousins who are walking together, and this is because of the historic Abraham Accords.
Caring about calling it Abraham Accords might seem pedantic. One might say, it’s just semantics. What’s in a name already? Of primary importance is pursuing the policy of peace itself.
Certainly, the policy of actual peace between Israel and the four Muslim countries is indeed what is paramount. Yet, I feel, how you coin such a sensitive process has meaning too.
Naming is a strong motif in the Bible. Right from Genesis’ creation story, with its ascription of characteristics to people, places and things, has deep significance in Judaism. From G-d naming Adam, to Adam then naming the animals, to the transformation of the names of Abram to Abraham, of Sarai to Sarah, of Jacob to Israel (to name a few) — each of these name transformations imbed layers of meaning, crystallizing something about each persona’s essence.
Adam, for example, means earth, and within earth, is held the word blood. There is so much in these two separate simple worlds that are bound up and part of one word: Adam. Which, while is Adam’s name, also means: human.
Abraham — Avraham in Hebrew — holds the word father with in it. It’s the first two Hebrew letters of the name Avraham. As well as the first two letters of the Hebrew alphabet. It is the foundation. Living within this name is a paternal essence. A father of great nations (“Av-Ram”).
There are more layers embodied in the name Avraham, not least of which is the source of the word for the Hebrew, the Ivri.
For these “normalization agreements,” let’s focus on the first two Hebrew letters of Avraham, namely, aleph and bet, the “alphabet,” the source of language that can weave relationships of friendship and peace in the Middle East, just by using words made up of the first two letters of the alphabet, the first two letters of Avraham, to break down cold fortresses and tragically, violence.
Let’s call these agreements what they are: the Abraham Accords.
And with each utterance, they bring the deeper meaning of these words to the manifestation of peace in the Middle East.
Av-raham.
Prop up peace. Do not diminish it.
Copyright © 2021 by the Intermountain Jewish News
