Author: Daniel Levy
Affiliation: The American Prospect
Organization/Publisher: The American Prospect
Date/Place: September 17, 2020/Washington, D.C., USA
Type of Literature: Article
Word Count: 2494
Link: https://prospect.org/world/missing-peace-in-abraham-accords-israel-uae/
Keywords: Peace Deal, Middle East, Israel, Palestine, US, Trump
Brief:
The author explicates how the supposed ‘Peace Plan’ between Israel, UAE, and Bahrain is a sham in many ways. Firstly, no ‘war’ existed between these states in the first place to consider this a change in events. Secondly, the UAE has been actively receiving massive technological and military support from Israel. The close relations between Israel and Gulf states were largely visible during the 2011 uprisings, particularly in their supporting the 2013 coup in Egypt. According to the author, this development just comes to provide closure to the dream of a pan-Arab effort towards Palestine. With the failure of a united Arab front and Israel’s unwillingness to give Palestinians a state, this change could incentivize a struggle for rights rather than a state. This would be unpopular with the Arab states in the region as they simultaneously deny their own citizens of these rights. Furthermore, the idea that this treaty would delay Israeli annexation is unfounded. Israel has no intention or motive to do so. The treaty is damaging in the sense that it consolidates Israel’s unwillingness to budge even more. The accords also accelerate the military-industrial complex in the Middle East. It seems like the Arab states are looking forward to the US-Israeli partnership to tip the balance in their favor in the wake of Turkish and Irani regional influence. However, the UAE keeps communication open with Iran while Qatar tries to intervene in Gaza as a hedging strategy. It appears that the point of this faux peace treaty was just to divert the attention of Trump’s and Netanyahu’s supporters while their domestic politics and mismanagement draws greater scrutiny.
By: Sahar Sadiq, CIGA Research Intern
