Peace Agreement Israel and Emirates
With or without a peace agreement with the Palestinians. But a prominent Israeli advocate for peace with the Palestinians recently returned from a trip to Dubai with a hardened perspective: it is the Palestinians who need to change, he said, not the Israelis. But peace is a one-way street. To facilitate the rise of the UAE and Bahrain as interlocutors with the Palestinians, Israel must – as Nuaimi has requested – “reach out directly to the Palestinian people” and demonstrate the positive impact these peace agreements will have on them. And so, as he has done dozens of times publicly and privately, Netanyahu enters into a fairly familiar diatribe about Iranian misconduct, Iranian misdeeds, and how Israel and the Gulf states must unite against this threat from Iran. Otaiba nods all this time. He agrees with everything Netanyahu says. And so, on the surface, it looks like a pretty harmless conversation. The Assembly of the Representatives of the Tunisian People criticized the agreement, saying it was in solidarity with the Palestinian cause. [99] Protests took place outside the UAE embassy in Tunis, where people burned Israeli flags and photos of UAE President Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan while supporting the Palestinian cause of independence.
[100] Tunisian President Kais Saied later said tunisia would not interfere with or oppose the deal, but that it stood with the Palestinians. [101] Buthaina Shaaban, the Syrian president`s political and media adviser, criticized the deal in her comments in the Al-Watan newspaper, saying that secret relations between the UAE and Israel have existed for decades, but now they are revealing it publicly. She said there was nothing new in the deal and regretted that the Gulf states are hostile to Iran but want peace with Israel, which abhors Arab history and forcibly seizes Palestinian land. [98] Currently, Palestinians are angry after being pressured by their supporters to see these deals as a stab in the back. But over time, this can be mitigated. Israel could facilitate Emirati aid and investment in Gaza and the West Bank to counter Iranian, Qatari and Turkish efforts and to allow the UAE to position itself as an alternative mediator between Israelis and Palestinians. Moreover, israeli goodwill gestures and concessions – mediated by the Emiratis and Bahrainis – would show the Palestinians that these Gulf states are capable of satisfying the legitimate rights and demands of the Palestinians. Over time, this could lead to the rise of a more moderate and responsible Palestinian society and leadership, which could be a more willing peace partner for Israel.
As he has done repeatedly in recent days, Mr. Trump has predicted that he will then reach a quick deal with Iran to contain his nuclear deal if re-elected, though there is no sign that such a reconciliation is really imminent. “If I win the elections,” he said, “I will have a deal with Iran within 30 days.” A spokeswoman for the European Commission said the deal was important for Israel and the United Arab Emirates, in addition to ensuring their stability. Italy, for its part, hoped to bring peace and stability to the Middle East. He also described Israel`s suspension of the annexation of parts of the West Bank as positive and hoped he would resume talks with the Palestinians on a two-state solution. [108] Spain made similar comments, saying it was in favor of the agreement. [109] Geopolitics is not all that matters in the Middle East. There are other realities, and to understand them, we need to look in detail at the agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates. We need to put it in the context of the modern history of the United Arab Emirates, a group of seven distinct and very different states that are just approaching their 50th year.
It started with a population of only 277,000. Now he is raising a toast to 10 million. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned the UAE that this would have dangerous implications for the deal. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani called the deal a “big mistake” and warned the UAE against allowing Israel a secure presence in the Gulf. Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif called it a betrayal of Arab and non-Arab countries in the Middle East. A group of less than 100 protesters gathered outside the UAE embassy in Tehran on August 15, chanting “Death to America” and “Death to Israel.” Protesters also burned Israel`s flag. [72] The conservative Kayhan newspaper, whose editor is appointed by Iran`s Supreme Leader, warned that the deal had made the UAE a “legitimate and easy target.” [73] According to the Emirati government, the agreement “immediately” ends Israeli plans to annex parts of the West Bank and offers Israel and the Palestinians the opportunity to resume negotiations to end their conflict. Israeli officials use the word “suspend.” The difference in language represents the politics faced by the leader of each country. In the case of the UAE, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed was clearly forced to show that normal relations with the UAE were not free for Israelis. For Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the use of the term “suspension” is an attempt to appease political groups and factions in favor of annexation, which have already criticized the deal. Many technical details remain in the air, and the region`s volatility is not a source of comfort.
But despite the reservations and questions that remain, the UAE and Bahrain`s agreements with Israel remain simply revolutionary. They are overthrowing decades of stifling status quo and sterile political orthodoxies, which have failed to advance the cause of genuine and positive peace – not just the absence of conflict – for the region`s war-weary inhabitants. The agreements lay the foundation for social upheaval and show how regional geopolitics has changed decisively. Over time, Israel`s accession to the Gulf could even encourage Egypt, which welcomed the deal, and Jordan, which did so more lukewarmly, to move toward a warmer peace with the Israelis. In this document, the agreements are to be hailed for being truly revolutionary, laying the foundations for true Arab-Israeli friendship and representing the long-awaited recognition of everyone`s humanity. There are other pitfalls as well. There is no timetable for the conclusion of further concrete agreements on the different types of cooperation that have been announced. This could not only tarnish the process of implementing normalization, but also feed opponents for their slander. The Greek Foreign Ministry congratulated the two countries, calling it a victory for diplomacy, hoping it would bring peace to the region. [113] Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky congratulated Netanyahu in a phone call. [114] Other countries such as Austria, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Romania and Kosovo[b] also welcomed the agreement.
[115] [116] [117] The Bulgarian Foreign Ministry called it an “extraordinary diplomatic breakthrough” that could change the future of the Middle East, hoping that it will bring peace and improve the lives of the peoples of the Middle East, and congratulated both countries. [118] Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz discussed the deal with Emirati Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan in a telephone conversation and congratulated him on it, saying cooperation was necessary to resolve Middle East problems. He also welcomed the suspension of Israeli annexation plans and hoped that the Israeli-Palestinian dialogue would resume. [119] Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi said the agreement would pave the way for peace agreements with other countries and welcomed the suspension of unilateral annexation. Yesh Atid Chairman Yair Lapid hailed the deal as an “important step” for normalization with the UAE, saying it showed that mutual agreements were the way forward for Israel`s relations with other nations, rather than unilateral measures such as annexation. Israeli Labor Party leader Amir Peretz also shared the view, saying Israel`s development and security lie in such agreements. He hoped for a similar deal with the Palestinians. [37] In Bahrain, the first Gulf Arab country to publicly express support for the agreement as a step toward peace,[38] fears of government repression prevented activists from expressing their criticism.
[45] On August 26, the King of Bahrain, Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, told U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that the Gulf State was committed to the creation of a Palestinian state and implicitly opposed the normalization of relations with Israel. [56] However, the country then agreed to normalize relations with Israel, which US President Donald Trump announced on September 12. [57] Both Trump and Netanyahu claim that the new deal will lead to further isolation of Iran. President Hassan Rouhani called it “unacceptable,” a “big mistake” and a “betrayal” on the part of the UAE. Tehran`s reaction clearly angered Emirati Foreign Minister Anwar Gargash, who summoned the Iranian ambassador to deliver what officials called a “letter with sharp terms.” Gargash tweeted: “The peace treaty between the UAE and Israel is a sovereign decision that is not directed against Iran.
