A deal with problems
A landmark deal was struck yesterday between Israel and the UAE, a Muslim nation on the western shores of the Persian Gulf. The UAE is now the third Arab nation to formally recognise and normalise relations with Israel, the other two being Egypt and Jordan. The deal has been met with some extremely polarised reactions, most notably from Iran, whose Foreign Ministry has called the deal “shameful”, and Turkey, who’s Speaker of the Grand National Assembly called it a betrayal of the Palestinian cause. Positive reactions have obviously been expressed by Israel and the UAE, as well as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and representatives from France, Germany, and the EU. UN General Secretary Antonio Guterres has said that the UN will welcome any deal that will promote peace in the Middle East. The most outspoken of the positive reactions have come from the US, whose President Donald Trump acted as witness when the deal was signed.
Long time coming
The UAE has been seeking a deal with Israel, a strong Western ally, ever since US troops started leaving the region more rapidly. This was met with scepticism from the UAE’s Arab neighbours, who’s past relationships with Israel have been less than positive. The Crown Prince of the UAE, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, has countered these scepticisms with repeated statements that in order to normalise relations with Israel, any future plans Israel may have to further annex Palestinian land in the West Bank would not be accepted as part of the deal. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has planned for quite some time to annex 30% of the West Bank, a plan that has drawn widespread criticism, not only from the international community, but from the majority of Israeli citizens as well. The initial plan for Israel-UAE relations drawn up by the Trump administration originally allowed for Netanyahu’s plans for annexation to go ahead, hoping it would sweeten the deal for Netanyahu and he would be more likely to accept. Sheikh bin Zayed retaliated against these plans, however, saying Israel could have relations with the UAE, or annexation, but not both.
But does it have substance?
While the deal that has currently been struck does little to practically further peace between Israel and Palestine, it lays the groundwork for that process to be started in earnest. Netanyahu has alienated his right-wing base by going back on his annexation plans, which is not good news for the incumbent Prime Minister, with an election looming. The possibility of Israel continuing to act aggressively against Palestine is expected to be curbed by the intervention of Sheikh bin Zayed, who has stated that peace in the Middle East cannot be achieved if peace between Israel and Palestine is achieved first. Also, while the UAE may not be the most powerful Arab nation, it is still a respected voice in the international community, and it is expected that other Muslim nations may seek to follow the Emirati’s example and normalise relations with Israel in an effort to finally secure peace in the region.
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