Trump forges anti-Iranian coalition in the Middle East
On August 13, Israel signed a reconciliation agreement with the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The UAE became the third Arab country (after Egypt and Jordan) to fully settle diplomatic and economic ties with the Jewish state in a peaceful manner. The parties undertake to restore relations and jointly define a plan for the development of investments, tourism, direct flights, security and telecommunications between the countries. The United States, represented by President Donald Trump, mediated the peaceful settlement of the conflict.
The lack of official contacts between Jerusalem and Abu Dhabi is the result of a long-term Arab-Israeli conflict that has been going on since 1948. Against this backdrop, the agreement between Israel and the UAE is undoubtedly a resounding diplomatic victory for Trump ahead of the presidential election.
Despite the fact that Israel and the UAE did not officially communicate, the parties secretly cooperated on mutually beneficial terms. Back in 2003, an Israeli delegation led by the Minister without a portfolio under the Ministry of Finance, Meir Shitrit, participated in a meeting of the World Bank and IMF in Dubai. In 2009, an Israeli delegation under the Foreign Ministry visited Abu Dhabi to discuss renewable energy issues at an international conference. For the first time, the flag of Israel was displayed on a par with others in the UAE. In 2010, Israeli Minister of National Infrastructure Uzi Landau became the first senior official to visit the Arab Emirates. Landau took part in a conference on the use of renewable energy in world practice.
However, such visits were not of an official nature, but were organized within the framework of international meetings and forums. However, with the help of such trips, officials from both countries discussed defense and foreign intelligence cooperation behind the scenes. The UAE has strengthened ties with Israel as part of the confrontation with Iran. Jerusalem and Abu Dhabi sharply negatively assessed the Iranian nuclear program, trying to prevent the regional influence of Tehran. That is why cooperation between Israel and the United Arab Emirates was developing productively.
In 2015, Israel officially opened a diplomatic mission in Abu Dhabi under the guise of the United Nations International Renewable Energy Agency. The intergovernmental organization played the role of a mediator between the two countries, and the diplomatic mission employees discussed economic, political and humanitarian issues with representatives of the UAE, not limited to energy and industry problems.
The Jewish diaspora in the UAE played an important role in the rapprochement of the two countries. The Abu Dhabi city government has always had good relations with the local Jewish community. Some traditions and values of Jewish culture were observed in the city: the authorities organized special rooms for Jewish prayers, catering establishments with kosher meals, and conditions were created for those who do not work on Shabbat. The Jews of the UAE positively assessed the establishment of contacts between Israel and the Emirates and supported the Arab authorities in their efforts to establish a dialogue with Jerusalem.
In May 2020, for the first time in history, a UAE Etihad aircraft landed at Israel’s airport in Tel Aviv, which made a direct flight from Abu Dhabi. On board was humanitarian aid to Palestinian refugees and residents of the Gaza Strip. However, the Palestinians refused to accept assistance, believing that such actions of the United Arab Emirates were dictated exclusively by selfish goals in order to normalize relations with Israel.
The peace treaty between Israel and the UAE has eased tensions in the Arab-Israeli conflict, but has split the Muslim world. Egypt, Oman and Bahrain have already supported the agreement between Israel and the UAE. At the same time, Hazem Qasem, a spokesman for the Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip, said that the UAE “stabbed the Palestinians in the back,” and Palestine recalled its ambassador from the UAE.
However, the document has the most important consequences for the military balance in the Middle East. After the Six Day War, the United States pledged to ensure Israel’s military superiority over the countries of the region. For this reason, for many years, Washington did not respond positively to Abu Dhabi’s request for the acquisition of the F-35. Immediately after the signing of the agreement, UAE Foreign Minister Anwar Gargash said that soon his country intends to get the United States to sell advanced F-35 aircraft, and Israel is aware of this. It is possible that Egypt can achieve its right to purchase the F-35 in the future.
All this fits into Trump’s concept of reducing Tehran’s influence in the Middle East. Armed conflicts in Iran’s allies are aimed at reducing the military potential of the Islamic republic, while a coalition of Arab states is being formed around Israel, which Washington will provide with modern weapons. Even 30 years ago, this was impossible to imagine.