Middle East: Why Arab nations are embracing Israel
The Arab world is abandoning the Palestinian cause, said Youssef Rizqa in the Gaza-based Felestin. First, the United Arab Emirates established full diplomatic relations with Israel. That was a clear violation of the 2002 Saudi Arabian–led Arab Peace Initiative, under which most Arab nations agreed that ties with Israel would be normalized only following the creation of a viable Palestinian state. Then, last week, Bahrain announced that it, too, was normalizing relations with the Jewish state. It’s only a matter of time before more countries join this shameful procession—rumor has it that Oman, Kuwait, Sudan, and Morocco might follow suit. At an Arab League summit last week, Palestinian officials put forward a resolution to condemn the U.S.-brokered deal between Israel and the UAE, but the Saudis and others refused to pass it. Palestinian leaders can no longer rely on traditional allies. To achieve statehood, we will have to “activate popular resistance” to the Israeli oppressors.
Solidarity with the Palestinians has been trumped by the promise of advanced American weapons, said Creede Newton in AlJazeera.com (Qatar). The UAE had long wanted to buy F-35 fighter jets and larger drones from the U.S.—partly to contain the threat posed by Iran—but the U.S. refused to sell, because of a pledge to ensure Israel retained a military advantage in the Middle East. The Trump administration said it would drop its objections if the UAE struck a diplomatic deal with Israel, and now the sale is on track. Bahrain likely also agreed to normalization to get access to advanced weaponry, “and the Saudis could potentially follow.”
Our Palestinian partners need to rethink their “dysfunctional” approach to the peace process, said Faisal Abbas in Arab News (Saudi Arabia). For decades, Palestinian leaders have said no to every peace offer from Israel. “When will they learn that every time they turn away from the negotiating table, the pie only gets smaller?” At this point, while the loss of “historical Palestine” is tragic, we must all “put emotions to one side and embrace the reality.” That doesn’t mean Arab nations will give up the struggle for a Palestinian state. But working with Israel, rather than against it, might bring better results.
The UAE and Saudi Arabia regard Palestinians as nothing more than pawns in their push for regional dominance, said Al-Quds Al-Arabi (U.K.) in an editorial. There are reports that the UAE is now negotiating with President Mahmoud Abbas, promising to help his West Bank–based Palestinian Authority take control of the Gaza Strip—currently led by rival Palestinian faction Hamas—if he restarts peace talks with Israel. This scheme will likely involve Riyadh and Abu Dhabi providing the Palestinian Authority with “funds and weapons, and perhaps mercenaries.” The Saudis and the UAE are already involved in bloody civil wars in Yemen, where they’re fighting Iran-linked militias, and Libya, where they’re battling the Turkey-allied government in Tripoli. Will they now turn the Palestinian territories into a war zone?