ISRAEL AND THE GULFSTATES - A HEAVENLY FUSION OF CULTURES OR AN OPPORTUNISTIC ALLIANCE?

The green pastures of the white house’s southern lawn presented the perfect symbol for a changing Middle East: hope. The last year exposed a Middle Eastern affaire de coeur: a secret relationship between enemies that are now being flaunted as a powerful friendship here to stay for the long run. When Israel and the United Arab Emirates agreed to normalise relations in August, and soon after, when Bahrain joined the party, they marked the first peace deals between Israel and an Arab nation since 1994. In the months that followed, trade deals, investments, medical aid and flights were all established, in what promises to be a fruitful diplomatic win for all parties. But how important were state interests to the forming of the Abraham Accords? Could it

be that Arab and Israeli cultures are finally learning how to coexist?

As with any fair deal, every side is due to receive their end of the bargain. Israel manifested its long-standing mantra that peace does not always have to be self-hurting. On the backdrop of Israel’s loss of the Sinai Peninsula in its peace with Egypt, and its withdrawal from the Gaza strip to advance peace talks with the Palestinians, the Abraham Accords were a living proof that the Middle East is changing its attitudes towards the Jewish State. Apart from halting potential annexation of the Jordan Valley, Israel did not have to give up any land, nor place itself at a critical security risk. It was finally able to prove that it’s Iron Wall’ strategy – stipulating that Israeli strength will make its neighbours realise that their only choice is to acknowledge their existence - has paid off. Perhaps more vitally, it confirmed that it could realistically make peace with an Arab state without committing to a two-state solution with the Palestinians and without needlessly conforming to the Arab Peace Initiative.

Refusing to let his Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi steal his thunder at the signing event and instead choosing to fly to Washington personally, Prime Minister Netanyahu utilised the accords as a future election token. Leveraging his diplomatic victory, Netanyahu reminded the Israeli electorate that albeit legal complications, there is only one person who can genuinely lead Israel to become a respected global powerhouse. Focused on distracting the Israeli public from coronavirus complications, economic hardships, mass protests, and his court hearings, Netanyahu used the ‘peace card’ in countless Knesset debates, interviews, and social media videos.

The UAE, Bahrain and ‘ghost-signee’ Saudi Arabia, appear to have profited as well. Not only did they earn a valuable ally against their regional enemy Iran, but they also gained Israel’s powerful hand in trade, technology and innovation. Early estimates indicate that the normalisation of ties could result in bilateral trade that exceeds $6bn – specifically in the oil, medical, pharmaceutical, fintech, tourism and innovation sectors.

Furthermore, even though UAE officials point out there is no military element to the agreement with Israel, Washington is due to supply the Emirates with F-35 stealth fighters, MQ-9 Reaper drones, and EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft, having previously resisted doing this due to an arms export treaty. The UAE hopes that these highly advanced weapons will help place itself in a better position against the Iranian threat. Crucially, The Abraham Accords pave a much shorter road between the Gulf and Washington; one which they hope will prevent an American withdrawal from the Middle East.

It is undoubtable that state interests played a considerable role in the creation of the Abraham Accords. But what makes these any different to other Israeli peace treaties? Well, since the founding of the State of Israel in 1948, it was modelled into what David M. Halbfinger of the New York Times labelled a ‘modern-day Sparta’. Surrounded by enemies who openly called for its destruction, Israelis found the prospect of peace hard to come by. That is why the Camp David Accords in 1979 and the Wadi Araba Treaty in 1994, with Egypt and Jordan respectfully, proved to be so popular with the Israeli public. Yet the 41 yearlong peace with Egypt, is a different type of peace to the one recently celebrated in Washington. The normalisation of relations with the UAE and Bahrain already exhibits far more cordial relations than treaties with Egypt and Jordan. This makes excellent sense, too. After all, Israel fought an array of wars with its close neighbours, whilst never being in a direct war with the UAE or Bahrain. Crucially, the UAE is attempting to scrape the image in the Arab world that peace with Israel is made for purely strategic goals. It is trying to progress an idea of a peaceful Middle East, where religions are equal and respected, and mutual economic and social co-operation is encouraged.

The accords commit to "spurring economic growth, enhancing technological innovation and forging closer people-to-people relations”. These came into action far more resolutely than anyone had expected. Even before the finalisation of the deal, the US, the UAE, and Israel jointly established a $3bn ‘Abraham Fund’ to help stimulate private sector investments between the two nations. Furthermore, Israel and the UAE agreed on a stellar 28 direct flights per week, after impressive levels of demand from the Israeli and Emirati public. Considering that the UAE is a short 3-hour flight away from Tel Aviv, offers 0% corporate and income tax, and provides an internationally acclaimed business environment, Israeli businesses are almost inevitably going to expand their horizons to the Gulf. Economic co-operation, in its current form, has a direct correlation to cultural advancements between Israelis and Arabs. A perfect example rests in the recent acquisition of Israel’s most right-wing football club, Beitar Jerusalem, by a member of the Emirati royal family Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Nahyan. Beitar fans are historically notorious for their anti-Arab chants and racist attitude towards the incorporation of Arab players into its squad. Israeli owner Moshe Hogeg, who still owns 50% of Beitar, tells the public: “We want to show to young kids that we are all equal and that we can work and do beautiful things together”. Albeit Beitar fans storming their recent training session in protest of the acquisition, most commentators remain hopeful that Israel’s far-right will accept the Emirati investor as a valued shareholder. Sheikh Hamad, when asked in an interview how the deal had come together, responded with a heart-warming answer: “God connected us.”

This cultural connection is one that extends beyond state lines and is gradually developing into a fine-tuned harmony between Judaism and Islam. In the UAE, the Abrahamic Family House is under construction - a shared religious site with an extraordinary mosque, synagogue and church. The synagogue is estimated to be the most expensive one to have been built since the ancient Temple of Solomon, providing reasonable proof that the UAE hopes to welcome its Jewish counterparts with honour. Furthermore, the UAE’s first-ever kosher restaurant has recently opened in the Burj Khalifa, in a further attempt to attract more Israelis to visit the Gulf. As opposed to Egypt and Jordan, the UAE is attempting to accommodate and integrate Jewish and Israeli culture, proving that interests might not be the only tenant of the deal.

With Saudi Arabia dubbed the next likeliest country in the Gulf to normalise relations with Israel, a cultural revolution is taking place in the Middle East. State interests indeed have, and always will pave the path for diplomacy in the region. However, the Abraham Accords signal that a slightly different approach is materialising. A path that recognises economic and military advantages, but also aspires to tolerate different religions, and aims to solve the Arab-Israeli dispute once and for all.