AFTER long sought, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with US backing, last week announced a deal to establish full diplomatic ties with the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The Jewish state had been covertly trying to improve its relations with Arab countries, while not giving an inch to Palestinians. So, Israel’s claim for sovereignty over occupied West Bank territory in 1967 war still remains.
As reported in the international press, the UAE made little mention of Israeli withdrawal from lands it captured, which for decades has been the central Gulf States demand for normalising relations. The pact is a gift for Israel at a time when the Jewish state is facing a worsening economic crisis, and Mr. Netanyahu’s coalition is unravelling. On the other hand, US President Donald Trump is also equally delighted, indicating that he has a ‘positive’ story to sell ahead of November’s election. May be he is expecting a positive outcome in the forthcoming presidential election. Using their common fears over Iran’s influence, the Israel premier nurtured informal cooperation with the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Bahrain and Oman will also follow the suit, Trump hopes. Currently, Saudi Arabia is a close cooperative partner of the United States.
In the meantime, the US’s ties with China have hit rock bottom. President Trump wanted a diplomatic victory in the Middle Eastern countries. If more Arab countries open ties with Israel in the coming months, President Trump could claim a major diplomatic breakthrough in the Arab-Israel relations, which had seen at least four major wars in the past.
According to the report, Abu Dhabi’s crown prince and UAE’s de facto leader Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed tweeted that Israel had pledged to stop annexation, while the UAE had “agreed to cooperation and setting a road map towards establishing a bilateral relationship”. The pact lays bare the unspoken reality that several Arab states now view Iran as their prime enemy, not Israel. Earlier Egypt and Jordan had established their diplomatic ties with Israel.
The peace deal between Israeli and the UAE has reportedly one glaring fault. It failed to address the core problem like the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Instead, the UAE has rewarded Israel for annexation of occupied territory that most of the world considered illegal. Palestinians see the deal as the UAE’s betrayal. Now the question arise can such a deal ensure the rights of the Palestinians in the form of a viable two-state solution? The United Arab Emirates is committing a mistake by trusting Netanyahu who Muslim hater does not believe two-state solution. The Muslim countries must show unity and strength on Palestinian statehood. Wait for next leadership in Israel.
