UAE recognizes Israel, countries normalize relations 🇦🇪🇮🇱

[All Along The Watchtower]

yes, we all know the Gulf monarchies don't care about the Palestinians

[All Along The Watchtower]

The Gulf states, in viewing Iran as a far bigger enemy, are finally putting aside their differences and aligning together with Israel. It’s just a matter of time before the remainder do so as well among Arab monarchies.

It’s not merely about opposing Iran, but opposing political Islam in general - not merely jihadist groups, but also the Muslim Brotherhood and completely peaceful and moderate grassroots political and social movements. The Emirates in particular has been at the forefront of the anti-Sunni Islamism (and anti-Arab Spring) campaign going on a full decade now.

The last thing these absolute monarchies want is an organized grassroots movement of local self-determination gaining any power or influence in the Arab world- whether it be Shia Islamist, Sunni Islamist, or neither. Openly cooperating with Israel against the Palestinians is entirely in accord with that policy.

[All Along The Watchtower]

Whatever the private views of the Saudi monarchy, I doubt they would be willing to defy the street on this issue, especially given they are self-styled guardians of Mecca and Medina.  

MBS would/will recognize Israel if/when he thinks he can get away with it. I don’t think his father would go for it (Salman, as Governor of Riyadh, was in charge of coordinating private Saudi funding not just for Palestinian fighters, but also for fighters in Afghanistan in the 80s and Bosnia in the 90s. I don’t think I need to elaborate).

[All Along The Watchtower]

Qatar is rather doubtful, I would have thought.

Qatar has cooperated with Israel before - much to the chagrin of the Saudis and Emiratis, because they did it independently, and the Saudis and Emiratis think Qatar should act more like Bahrain (ie., ask how high when Riyadh and Abu Dhabi tell them to jump).

They’ve never forgiven Hamad bin Khalifa al Thani for overthrowing his father in the mid-90s, and they will always despise Al Jazeera. The events of 2011 made the stakes of the fear and hatred existential.

[All Along The Watchtower]

<keep in mind, I'm a supporter of Israel's right to exist>

Why does Bibi/the state of Israel have veto rights over who we sell sh**t to?  That seems like a bad idea.

Bibi is a Republican Party (US) politician. Good friends with Trump and Kushner, too.

[All Along The Watchtower]

https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-expects-oman-to-normalize-next-mossad-chief-says-saudi-deal-soon-tv/

I mean, I would’ve thought that this wouldn’t happen until Salman died, but it’s a fait accompli at this point. Even just from a strict realpolitik sense, it makes sense.

It’s not lost on the Saudis that the PLO supported Saddam Hussein (a longtime Israeli enemy) during the Gulf War, or that Hamas has been supported more by Iran in recent years - and Iran, Syria, and Hezbollah have led the “Axis of Resistance.”

And yes, the US is obviously eager for its two most important allies in the region to have official, close diplomatic relations.