Last year was unusual for Israel. Thanks to its handling of the Covid crisis and its super-fast rollout of the vaccine, much of the global commentary about the country was positive (aside from May’s bloody conflict with Hamas).

There is every reason to believe that 2022 will turn out to be even better. Already, Israel is ahead of the game by introducing a fourth jab, with the rest of the world gratefully gleaning valuable information on the effectiveness of this extra shot. More broadly, the political instability that has seemed endemic in recent years appears to be moving into the past.
There were obvious fears that a coalition representing the full spectrum of diametrically opposed political views would collapse at the first dispute.

It has turned out that the sheer unwieldiness of the government is a strength of sorts; none of the parties wants to be the one that destroys it, and so they have all at some point held their noses as they voted against their own views. This new domestic stability is doubly welcome as it comes at a time of increasing diplomatic stability.

The positive effects of the Abraham Accords continue apace, with economic and military ties solidifying across the Arab world with a rapidity and breadth that seemed inconceivable before the first agreement with the UAE in August 2020. There is even serious talk of establishing formal relations with the Saudis this year. There are, of course, clouds on the horizon.

The rockets from Gaza and violence there this month show how easily there could be a repeat of last spring’s conflict. And the renewed negotiations in Vienna to reinstate the Iran nuclear deal hang over the region like a dark cloud.

But one of the foundations of the Accords was earlier cooperation against the common enemy of Iran — and now that is on a far more sustainable keel. In spite of everything, the signs for 2022 are good.