Whatever the motives of the Gulf state for agreeing to the peace accord, it marks a change in Arab solidarity with Palestinians
‘Normalisation” with Israel is still a dirty word in Arabic. But that hasn’t stopped the United Arab Emirates, the second most wealthy and powerful of the Gulf states, concluding a peace agreement with Benjamin Netanyahu, brokered by Donald Trump – at his transactional worst and with an eye on his chances of re-election in November.
Even accounting for Trumpian self-advertisement it is a big deal, both metaphorically and in reality. In the 72 years since its independence, Israel has signed just two peace treaties with Arab states: Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994. The UAE agreement is of a different nature because it was never involved in any hostilities. And it sends a powerful, taboo-breaking political message.
Continue reading…Whatever the motives of the Gulf state for agreeing to the peace accord, it marks a change in Arab solidarity with Palestinians‘Normalisation” with Israel is still a dirty word in Arabic. But that hasn’t stopped the United Arab Emirates, the second most wealthy and powerful of the Gulf states, concluding a peace agreement with Benjamin Netanyahu, brokered by Donald Trump – at his transactional worst and with an eye on his chances of re-election in November.Even accounting for Trumpian self-advertisement it is a big deal, both metaphorically and in reality. In the 72 years since its independence, Israel has signed just two peace treaties with Arab states: Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994. The UAE agreement is of a different nature because it was never involved in any hostilities. And it sends a powerful, taboo-breaking political message. Continue reading…