Therefore, one
would be confused to hear that the UAE and Israel have normalised relations and
are on the road to signing a peace deal. Were the relations strained? Were the
two countries fighting? What peace deal are they talking about?
The UAE and Israel
have long been cooperating in the realms of business and research. Since the
9/11 attacks, Dubai in particular has been adamant about saving face and improving
its cyber-security. A regional partner that is worthy of such cooperation is certainly
not Yemen or any regional country engulfed in its own internal crises and commitment
to its reputation as the third world. No. Israel proved to be a reliable
partner than can deliver. The
cooperation has since grown, with investments taking place and companies
established in the business hubs of the rich Emirates. Diplomatic missions
followed suit, and relations prospered and flourished.
The latest
chapter of neighbourly cooperation was the COVID-19 vaccine research partnership
that saw the two nations joining in hands – in public - for the larger good. Notwithstanding Israel’s demolishment of Palestinian
testing centres, medical facilities, and residential houses amidst the international
health crisis, and the ongoing starvation of Gazans – these two nations have
been praised for trying to save the humanity from the virus.
No one was
attacking the UAE for such partnership. It was free to do as it wishes and enter
into as many alliances as deemed appropriate, which is the right of any sovereign
country. Abu Dhabi has insisted that it has the full right for self-determination
and national decision making – forgetting however how it is meddling in Yemen, Libya,
and Sudan. So why is it that the UAE decided to formalise the relations? The unholy
matrimony was fine; why complicate things and stir Arab sentiments?
The UAE claimed that this decision will help
Palestinians. It will thwart – albeit temporarily- Israel’s decision to annex
parts of the West Bank. In other words, the public announcement of “truce” and “normalisation”
is a sacrifice made by the Emirates towards fellow Palestinians, whereby this
sign of good faith has successfully halted – again temporarily – the brazen,
unethical annexation. Both UAE’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Israel’s
Premier reminded the world that the annexation will stop for now. This
translates to:
1. We know the
annexation is wrong. If it were right we would have gone through with it
anyhow.
2. We are penalising
Palestinians for the decision of Arab countries not to normalise relations with
Tel Aviv. The penalty is annexation.
3. The peace deal
drawn is 2002 is void, as the condition of normalising relations only if two
states are formed was a bluff.
4. We think people are
idiots and cannot see that the whole point is to support upcoming elections in
both the USA and Israel, and market the UAE as an international hub of commerce
and technology, or/and a regional player in peaceful mediation that employs
culture and business as a road for peace (a much needed approach in all honesty).
Had the UAE
simply been honest about why its peaceful relations with Israel would bring
benefits to itself and perhaps the region as a whole the injury of the ever-so-indignant
Arab community would have been easier to swallow than the accompanying insult. Expecting
the gratitude of the Palestinian community for freezing the annexation is an
act of shameless absurdity. Ink as many deals as you wish – but please leave
the Palestinians out of it.
