Local Friends Among 300 Invited to Historic Peace Treaty Signing

by Guest Contributer September 21, 2020

by Guest Contributer September 21, 2020 21 views

Andy Klein (left) stands with his friend, Max Schachter, on the South Lawn on September 15, 2020 [photo courtesy: Max Schachter]

By: Jen Russon

Two men with reputations for caring deeply for the state of Israel were invited to the White House to witness a historic peace treaty in the Middle East.

Andy Klein, of Parkland and Max Schachter, of Coral Springs, received their invitations from President Donald Trump and bore witness to the Abraham Accords Peace Agreement’s signing on September 15.

Only 300 people were invited to the event, which also included Congressman Ted Deutsch and Governor Ron DeSantis.

While the Parkland friends knew there was a chance of seeing one another in Washington D.C., both said it was a pleasant surprise not only to see one another on the South Lawn but to sit together while history was made.

Klein, managing attorney at Klein Law Group, said it was a great honor to witness Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu unite with UAE Foreign Affairs Minister Abdullah bin Zayed and Bahrain Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid al Zayani who hadn’t always seen eye to eye.

“To see Netanyahu stand side-by-side with those men, in front of their country’s flag, was very moving. I also thought the name of the Accord was impactful. We are all descendants of Abraham,” said Klein.

His sentiments about the peace treaty were echoed by Schachter, whose relationship with President Trump began in 2018 after his son Alex was murdered at Marjory Stoneman Douglas.

UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel, Bahrain Foreign Minister Mr. Abdullatif Al Zayani, and President Donald Trump. Photo courtesy Max Schacter.

Since the Parkland tragedy, Schachter has worked with the Trump Administration to create the federal school safety clearinghouse and launch schoolsafety.gov.

“What the President has done should not be minimized. He deserves tremendous accolades for getting this done when no one said it was possible,” said Schachter.

He added in the years following his son’s death, he personally visited Israel multiple times, not just for Jewish outreach programs like JINSA and the Momentum Tour, but to learn everything he could about Israel’s school security.

“I’ve always had a close relationship with Israel. I’m really happy, really impressed the United States, Israel, the UAE and Bahrain are working together toward a more secure future for all of the Middle East,” said Schachter.

He added other Middle Eastern Nations are expected to follow, and that entering into the normalization pact with Israel would make a positive difference in everything from healthcare and tourism to peaceful uses of outer space.

“This is Israel’s first peace treaty since 1994, and, no matter whether you are a Democrat, or a Republican, this should be recognized as a monumental foreign policy achievement for President Trump,” he said.

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