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For years, statesmen and diplomats from around the world have claimed that it is impossible for Israel to reach a peace agreement with any Arab state without first signing a peace agreement with the Palestinian Authority. They said Israel would have to give up land beyond the Green Line, evacuating settlements, splitting Jerusalem and establishing a Palestinian state.
The thought of Israel signing a peace agreement with any Arab country—let alone one of the most influential ones in the Middle East—was considered crazy up until a few years ago. This historic day, with the announcement of normalizing relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, has proven that this old concept is not valid and never was.
Anyone following Israel’s relations with Arab countries might have noticed a pattern. Israel first establishes secret security coordination with Arab countries. Given Israel’s vibrant start-up and high-tech community, those security relations quickly spill over into technologies in the defense space and then into secret business ties. I am sure that this agreement will lead other Arab countries that have established connections with Israel to consider following the United Arab Emirates’ steps. This includes Chad, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and more.
The UAE has broken the glass ceiling and the fear of recognizing Israel publicly. The two countries have much to learn from and share with each other. Israel can offer the Emiratis technology and R&D, as well as future access to Mediterranean ports, thereby bypassing the needs to send oil tankers through the Straights of Hormuz. In return, the UAE has capital, vision and influence to help Israel both economically and diplomatically. This agreement will change the face of the Middle East, or as longtime former Israeli diplomat Shimon Peres used to say, “a new Middle East.”
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