Tentative sign of new dawn in Israel-Gulf ties
OFFICIALLY, the opening of Israel’s first diplomatic representation in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), announced last week, has nothing to do with Israel’s relations with the Persian Gulf regimes.
The diplomat to be stationed in Abu Dhabi will not be handling — at least not above the radar — UAE-related matters, but will represent Israel at the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), which is headquartered in the city.
Two Israeli energy ministers have already taken part in IRENA conferences in Abu Dhabi. However, it is impossible to detach this latest development — a clear diplomatic achievement for Israel — from its burgeoning, though quiet, ties with some of the Gulf nations.
The discreet relationship, mainly with Saudi Arabia and the Emirates, has been based largely on the shared enmity towards the Iranian regime and the Sunni Arab fear of increasing regional chaos. Much of the Israel-Gulf relation-
Dore Gold ship is the subject of speculation, but it is known to include intelligencesharing and diplomatic co-ordination over steps to be taken to limit Iranian influence.
There have also been reports of sales of Israeli high-tech and securityrelated products through third-parties to the Gulf states.
Israeli diplomats stress that there is no prospect of official diplomatic ties with the Saudis and their neighbours, who are committed to the Arab League Peace Initiative. The plan demands a full Israeli retreat from all the areas captured in the 1967 Six Day War, including East Jerusalem, as a condition for normalising relations with Israel. The opening of the new office in Abu Dhabi, however, can still be seen as an encouraging sign.
The opening of the office, agreed last week by Foreign Ministry Director General Dore Gold, puts Israel in a unique situation in the emirate.
All the other 144 nations participating in IRENA either have a diplomat in their Abu Dhabi embassy who is in charge of renewable-energy matters or, if they do not have a mission there, occasionally send an official to attend its events. Israel will be the only country to have a special representative stationed there. The decision to send the diplomat can only be seen as an acknowledgment of a strengthening rapport with the Gulf. Mr Gold, who has appeared on panels with senior Saudi officials, has been a central player in this develop
ment.