Understanding Sudan, and Why It Made Peace with Israel

Two years ago Sunday, Sudan became the third Arab state to normalize ties with Israel in the framework of the Abraham Accords. The second-largest country in Africa by area, Sudan recently rid itself of a brutal Islamist despotism and is moving unsteadily toward realignment with the West. Alberto M. Fernandez—in conversation with Robert Nicholson—delves into the country’s history, explains its current complexities, and discusses its relationship with Israel. In his view, the religious rhetoric connected to the Abraham Accords, and embedded in their name, is a necessary counterweight to the Islamic rhetoric that for decades has been used to delegitimize the Jewish state. He also addresses how peace with Israel can militate against authoritarianism’s hold on the Middle East. (Audio, 69 minutes.)