A big step toward peace
Adiplomatic initiative has taken place in the Middle East that may slowly change the look and shape of the region. Last week the United Arab Emirates and Israel reached a peace agreement, brokered by the United States, in which the two countries will establish full diplomatic relations.
This foreign policy triumph for President Donald Trump demonstrates a positive step toward peace in a region experiencing an existential crisis. Libya, Yemen, Syria, Iraq and Lebanon have all fallen apart in recent years, plagued by either the collapse of their governing institutions or by civil war.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made peace with an Arab neighbor by suspending Israel’s annexation of Palestinian land, and this may be the prevailing condition for other Arab countries that come to the table looking for the fruits of peace. The real pressure on Israel, however, is to give up the annexation plan entirely, not just suspend it.
The misguided Likud policy of further annexation is a self-inflicted wound that could result in Palestinian unrest and another intifada. The annexation, just like the occupation and all the settlements, are illegal under international law. For Palestinians, stopping the annexation is much less of an issue than ending the occupation itself, which has lasted for 52 years. For Israel, it must be self-evident by now that it can’t have annexation and better relations with Arab countries, or the wider world.
If Israel establishes official diplomatic relations with other Gulf Arab states, such as Bahrain, Oman and Saudi Arabia, that are contingent on the ceasing of annexation, this may result in a flowering of economic development in the region. Diplomatic normalization will bring the sharing of intelligence, technology and medicine; the working together on energy and climate; and the exchange of culture and ideas through travel.
The Gulf Arab states are the ones that need to diversify their economies the most; they are the ones facing the most pressing water issues; and, crucially, they have an embarrassment of riches to spend. An opening up to Israel, with its advanced technology sector, is only a boon for the UAE.
The United States, led by Mr. Trump or Joe Biden, should continue to broker such deals. However, any deal, either one-state or two, will require new leadership on both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian divide. Mr. Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas have been feeding on their own inertia and corruption for decades.
Indicted earlier this year on charges of “bribery, fraud and breach of trust,” Mr. Netanyahu is the first sitting prime minister in Israel’s history to face criminal charges.
President Barack Obama, along with prior administrations, opposed Palestinian elections, wary that they would produce a government that would be less obsequious to the status quo. Mr. Abbas and his family have benefited enormously from this arrangement. The kleptocracy that has become the Palestinian Authority exists in large part because of international interference and indifference that has kept corrupt leaders in place.
It’s time for new leadership. The United States can do only so much in what still remains the central unsolved problem of the region. Ultimately it will be up to the parties, and both are in dire need of regime change.
In the meantime, let’s acknowledge last week’s diplomatic achievement for its historic nature. The UAE is only the third Arab nation to broker peace with Israel, behind Egypt and Jordan. Let’s hope this deal continues to weaken the Arab taboo against normal relations with Israel and brings a warmer peace throughout the region.