President Biden’s national security team recognizes that the political landscape of the Middle East has been radically altered since the Obama administration left office. Talk of an “Obama-redux” foreign policy is simplistic.

Instead, let’s take a look at the Middle East playing field as it actually stands in 2021. There are positives. The Abraham Accords between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain seem to be enduring. Though, in my view, these deals were essentially bought by the Trump administration with high-tech weapon sales to several Arab states fearful of Iran. Don’t get me wrong, that’s OK. Despite the raw transactional nature of these deals, peace and diplomatic advancements are far more often preferable to wars and shadow wars. The evolving Israel-UAE relationship is one to watch, given the potential for future economic cooperation between the two sides, particularly in the technology sector. Reports of an Israeli tourist boom in the UAE are also quite encouraging.