Editor's note: Freddie Reidy is a freelance writer based in London. He studied history and history of art at the University of Kent, Canterbury, specializing in Russian history and international politics. The article reflects the author's opinions, and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

October 23 marked another foreign policy success for the U.S., and for President Donald Trump. Less than two weeks out from polling day the latest of the so-called Abraham Accords was signed by the U.S., Israel, and Sudan.

The agreement is the third such landmark accord normalizing relations with Israel following similar agreements with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. To place the policy in context, before the advent of the Abraham Accords, Egypt and Jordan were the only countries in the region to recognize the state of Israel.

As White House Senior Advisor Jared Kushner pointed out, the cessation of hostilities between Sudan and Israel resembles "a paradigm shift," with Khartoum being the site where in 1967, the Arab League of Nations agreed to not recognize Israel's right to exist.

As part of the Israeli-Sudanese agreement, the U.S. also committed to removing Sudan from the list of state sponsors of terrorism. In so doing, lifting many of the sanctions crippling the Sudanese economy, an economy struggling to rebuild after the 2019 uprising leading to the overthrow of Omar al-Bashir.

The U.S. also committed to "seek to secure debt forgiveness" believed to be in excess of 60 billion U.S. dollars. Israel also promised to aid the Sudanese in "tapping into their economic potential."

In addition to the normalization of relations with Israel, Sudan also agreed to pay 335 million U.S. dollars in compensation to American victims of terror. Sudan had been placed on the "state sponsors of terror" list by the Clinton administration for hosting Osama bin Laden from the mid-nineties onwards, including 1998, during al-Qaeda attacks in Kenya and Tanzania.

The deal therefore is also a significant step in rapprochement with the U.S. and a major vote of confidence in the fledgling civilian-military transitional government. As acknowledged in the joint statement, the Sudanese government has "demonstrated its courage and commitment to combating terrorism, building its democratic institutions and improving its relations with its neighbors."  

While the commitment to normalize relations appears to be part of a wider Trump Middle Eastern policy, it does come at a time of expedience for all three parties. Benjamin Netanyahu is facing criticism for his fragile administration's handling of COVID-19. President Trump trails his Democratic rival Joe Biden in the polls and Sudan's economy is in desperate need of foreign aid while its transitional government also needs to maintain legitimacy.

It remains to be seen though, whether the Sudanese government is wary of a domestic backlash in normalizing relations with Israel, or whether they are unhappy that the country's increased economic security came at such a price. Sudan's PM Abdalla Hamdok had tweeted his thanks to President Trump for removing Sudan from the list of state sponsors of terror but made no mention of the agreement with Israel.

Hamdok's Israeli counterpart was more upbeat, hailing "a new era – an era of true peace." In truth, for Israel, the agreement is more important symbolically as part of the Abraham Accords than it is economically. Trade talks are, however, due to commence imminently with a focus on agriculture.

While President Trump's bombastic nature and disregard for the established rules-based system of order has caused considerable alarm, his confidence to act unilaterally has garnered some considerable breakthroughs. While talks with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) have lost momentum, it was unthinkable in 2016 that a sitting president could enter direct talks with Kim Jong Un or set foot on the DPRK soil. So too, the progress made with Middle East peace talks is a significant step towards greater global dialogue and engagement.

Such an accord will not do any harm to President Trump's election hopes either. Evangelical Christians are great supporters of Israel and represent an influential component of the Republican base.

The man behind "The Art of the Deal" is also ever keen to remind the U.S. of how he is fighting for American interests across the globe. A point the president couldn't resist making to Netanyahu: "Do you think that 'Sleepy Joe' could have made this deal? Somehow, I don't think so."

The Israeli PM remained diplomatic however: "Well, Mr. President, one thing I can tell you is, we appreciate the help for peace from anyone in America."

Whether the Abraham Accords form a cornerstone of Trump's second term, or whether they are his legacy, will be decided on November 3.

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