How Arab countries want to deal with Israel now

Only a few months ago, many Arab countries began normalizing their relations with Israel. Growth in the Middle East now presents a challenge to them.

Has worked for many Arab countries after normalizing their relations with Israel GazaThe conflict introduced a diplomatic balancing act. The United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan had signed agreements on general relations with Israel since August.

Now the challenge is not to criticize this new dialogue very strongly Israel Endangering – and at the same time not neglecting – decades of support for the Palestinians.

Emirates are rather cautious

The emirate published a rhetorical statement on Friday evening demanding that “all parties promise to take immediate steps to ceasefire, initiate political negotiations and exercise the greatest restraint”.

State agency WAM reported that Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Sajid expressed his condolences to “all the victims of the recent fighting”. After storming the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the emirate urged Israel in a reserved tone to “avoid practices that endanger the sanctity of the mosque”.

Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan also condemned the clashes in the al-Aqsa mosque, but hardly commented on the situation. Gaza. Your criticism of Israel has been very restrained in the last few days.

As long as the conflict with the Palestinians remains unresolved, states have shied away from a decades-long line of Arab governments to reject relations with Israel. Apart from economic gain, he was also interested in an alliance against his common arch enemy. Iran.

Call for a two-state solution

However, in some cases, countries are reverting to earlier customary rhetoric. The Emirate’s former Minister of State for External Affairs, Anwar Gargash, described on Twitter the “two-state solution and the end of Israeli occupation with an independent Palestinian state” as a “historical and principled position”.

Oman, Qatar and Se Saudi ArabSimilar statements have come so far, which have failed to normalize relations with Israel. Morocco’s foreign minister, Nasir Baurita, described the Palestinian question as a main concern in a “firm and clear position by the state”.

In September, then-US President Donald Trump described the coordination with Israel as “the basis for comprehensive peace throughout the region,” mediated by Washington. Trump spoke of “beginning a new Middle East”. The Palestinian leadership refused to enter into negotiations with the Trump administration and accused the then US president of unilateral partisanship to Israel. Heir to trump Joe Biden Tries to tout the truce.