Two former top Trump White House officials are launching a Middle East think that that besides working to combat increasing levels of global anti-Semitism will work to expand the peace agreements between Israel and Arab nations signed during Trump’s term.
The think tank will be lead by Victoria Coates who served as Trump’s deputy national security adviser for Middle Eastern and North American Affairs in the National Security Council. Ellie Cohanim, the former deputy State Department special envoy to monitor and combat anti-Semitism, will be tasked with being the think tank’s principle on Middle Eastern and North African projects.
"As America confronts China and COVID, we also have to maintain our commitment to our friends and partners in the Middle East," said Fred Fleitz, the center's president and CEO, in a statement. "Victoria and her team will ensure the important groundwork laid by the Abraham Accords is supported and America's commitment to Israel and fighting global anti-Semitism is maintained."
Coates was credited with playing a central role in the brokering of the Trump administration’s normalization deals between Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.
The new center will work to expand the normalization agreement to other nations as well as fighting the global rise of anti-Semitism, said Coates.
"The Middle East and North Africa region is the vital fulcrum between east and west, and is home to not only some of the most sensitive transportation lanes on the planet, but also to much of the world's energy reserves," Coates said. "As our historic Arab partners begin to join together with our greatest (Middle East and North Africa) ally, Israel, there are enormous opportunities to advance American interests across the economic and security sectors. The Center's new [Middle East and North Africa] initiative will be focusing on how to leverage the U.S. presence in the region to the benefit of all."
(Arutz Sheva’s North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.)