The “Big Deal” in the Middle East
Israel and the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) announced they would recognize each other. This means that full diplomatic relations will take place. This includes opening embassies and the sending of Ambassadors to each of the countries.
It is a big deal. Only two other Arab states are at peace with Israel. They are Egypt and Jordan.
One constant in the Arab world is to not recognize the existence of Israel. In this way, the dream of moving back to the land held by Israel stays alive. Given the reality of Israel, most observers do not think this will happen.
There was an unwritten rule. It said Arab states would not recognize Israel. Why did the United Arab Emirates decide to break this rule? There is more than one reason.
Politics in the Middle East are changing. The Arab world has two main Muslim sects: Sunni and Shia. For reasons embedded in history, these sects oppose one another. For many years they lived side by side in countries like Iraq. The U.S.-led war in 2003 turned Sunni and Shia into enemies.
What has this split got to do with the U.A.E. and Israel agreement? The answer is Iran. Iran is the reason for much of what is taking place in the region.
Iranians demonstrating against the U.S. at the funeral of Gen. Soleimania
The Mullahs of Iran declared war against the West in the revolution of 1979. Later, Iran declared it would use its resources to advance its interests in the region. This included making Iraq a client-state of Iran. Iran armed the Hezbollah now in Lebanon. It backed Hamas rule in Gaza. Both militias want to destroy Israel.
The bigger signal Iran was sending was that it wanted to be the most powerful nation in the Middle East.
Religion is in the picture. Iran is a Muslim Shia nation. The Arab nations are mostly Muslim Sunni. They once lived side by side in Iraq. The U.S. led war in Iraq changed that.
Iraq became a war zone between Sunnis and Shias. In politics it became the place where Iran building on the 1979 revolution would take on the U.S. and Sunni nations allied with America. It all played out in Syria bringing misery to the region. And it sent a message. Iran and the Arab nations were enemies.
The United States is an enemy of Iran and a friend to Israel and the Sunni nations, including Saudi Arabia. Israel and the Arab states regard Iran as a mutual enemy. It is no secret in the Middle East that Israel and the Arab nations share intelligence information.
These big power politics led to the Israel, U.A.E. agreement.
Palestinians demonstrating against Israel. (AFP file photo).
Just where does this leave the Palestinians? Most of them live on the West Bank, an area between Israel and Palestine.
Most observers say the Palestinians are not in a good place.
The West Bank is poor. The leadership is old. The best jobs for Palestinians are in Israel. Many observers still believe that a two-state solution is possible. But they do not see how the Palestinian leaders can make peace with Israel. Israel became a state in 1948. Since that time, the creed of the people on the West Bank has been the destruction of Israel.
Now, the world is changing around the Palestinians. Iran has become a bigger concern than their fate. They are in danger of having a small role in future Middle East politics.
That is why the agreement between Israel and the U.A.E. is a big deal for the region and the Palestinians. Things are changing.
Resources: The New York Times August 18, 2020 and August 18, 2020
