On August 13th, the UAE and Israel signed a diplomatic agreement that ensured “full normalization of relations” between the two nations. The UAE signed the agreement on the condition that Israel wouldn’t annex the West Bank, which is currently a part of the Palestinian territory.
This deal was brokered by Israeli Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, UAE Prince Mohammed bin Zayed and Donald Trump, which indicates greater cooperation will occur in the future between their three countries.
Under this new agreement, Israel and the UAE will establish embassies in each other’s countries, offer direct flights for tourists and establish economic, scientific and diplomatic relations. The UAE is now the third Arab country to have diplomatic relations with Israel after its neighbors Egypt and Jordan.
In a press conference on the 13th, Donald Trump suggested that this deal would lead to more cooperation and peace between Israel and other Arab nations. Most likely Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Oman who oppose Iran’s growing influence in the Middle East. However, militant groups in the region like Hamas and Hezbollah who have ties with Iran and no interest in formal relations with Israel, remain an obstacle for Palestine and Lebanon in signing such deals.
In Palestine, the accord was received very poorly. The Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas denounced the deal on Palestinian T.V. This comes almost 8 months after he rejected a peace plan put forward by president Trump which declared that Jerusalem would remain the capital of Israel.
This new deal may tip the scale towards peace and diplomacy between Israel and its neighbors in the gulf. The big player in the region Saudi Arabia has remained silent about this issue so far likely because of its controversy. However with their young, semi-modern leader Prince Mohammad bin Salman, a deal with Israel, which would strengthen ties and oppose Iran looks much more possible in the future.
Bibliography
Baker, Peter, et al. “Israel and United Arab Emirates Strike Major Diplomatic Agreement.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 13 Aug. 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/08/13/us/politics/trump-israel-united-arab-emirates-uae.html.
Klein, Betsy. “Israel and the UAE Establish 'Full Normalization of Relations,' Trump Says.” CNN, Cable News Network, 13 Aug. 2020, www.cnn.com/2020/08/13/politics/israel-united-arab-emirates-normalization-trump/index.html.
“Trump Middle East Plan: Palestinians Reject 'Conspiracy'.” BBC News, BBC, 29 Jan. 2020, www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-51292865.
