Resource KT
Related Articles
(Bloomberg Opinion) – Extraordinary opportunities are developing between Israel and the United Arab Emirates following the normalization agreement the countries signed in September. At a recent tech conference in Dubai, more than 130 Israeli companies and a delegation of four hundred Israelis were able to explore business opportunities. This, along with new interfaith initiatives, showcases the rapidly developing relationship between the two countries.
But Israel must listen to its new Arab peace partners and show that it is serious about progress in negotiations with the Palestinians in the future as well.
The partnership between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, initially supported by trade and travel, comes with assumptions from Abu Dhabi. The United Arab Emirates said it had signed the agreement to “end annexation and the potential for escalation of violence.” He is also keen to maintain the viability of a two-state solution and increase stability in the region, especially in countries like Jordan which are very sensitive to changes in the status quo in Israel.
UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash said in a recent interview that the normalization deal is not transactional but a strategic national choice. The deal, he said, is an important opportunity to show that prosperity and peace can be achieved for the region: “It should be more important than the UAE and Israel.
It means providing for a political solution between the Palestinians and the Israelis.
The carefully worded statements by the Emiratis are a message that does not always seem to reach Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is heading towards his fourth election campaign in two years, hoping to extend a long term in which he has made the lack of progress on the Palestinian issue a core value.
This approach may have worked for him in the past, but now Netanyahu has struck peace deals with several Arab countries – with Morocco joining the US, Bahrain and Sudan in the camp – he cannot ignore the concerns and concerns. requests from his new friends.
Significantly, these new friends are making common cause with older partners that Netanyahu previously ignored: The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain recently welcomed the King of Jordan, showing their support for a leader who had a cold relationship with Netanyahu.
The UAE seeks to change the normalization game between the Arab States and Israel. The first model was “land for peace,” the basis of the 1979 agreement between Egypt and Israel. The second, defined by the Saudi-led Arab Peace Initiative in 2002, called for Israel to withdraw from the West Bank and Gaza, and the creation of a Palestinian state. The new model is first recognition and normalization, then a push for a peace process.
Saudi Arabia and other Arab states are watching closely to see if their quiet support for the new diplomatic overtures translates into progress between Israel and the Palestinians. But Israeli officials seem to be ignoring it.
Israel is sticking to its well-established line that the Palestinians must stop their “rejection” as a precursor of peace. For many years, there was no clear Israeli policy on what the Palestinians would receive if they responded to this demand. Key issues, such as Jerusalem as a shared capital, or borders and refugee compensation, are not on the table from Israel’s perspective.
There are of course other factors at play. Opponents of Israel and the United Arab Emirates support Palestinian groups, like Hamas in Gaza, which oppose any peace effort. A divided Palestinian politics with an aging leadership presents many challenges. But these facts only strengthen the argument for Israel to work closely with the UAE and other Arab states on the next steps.
Israel’s new Arab partners do not demand the immediate emergence of a Palestinian state, but they have said they want to see a move in that direction as part of their normalization agreements. It is Israel’s responsibility to show that its relationship with these states goes beyond trade agreements and interfaith dialogue. This is a multi-level peace project and it needs a level in which Israel listens to its new friends.
This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Editorial Board or of Bloomberg LP and its owners.
Seth J. Frantzman covers Middle Eastern affairs for the Jerusalem Post. He is the author of “After ISIS: America, Iran and the Struggle for the Middle East” and executive director of the Middle East Center for Reporting and Analysis.
For more items like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion
Subscribe now to stay ahead of the curve with the most trusted source of business information.
© 2020 Bloomberg LP
