The Israel-UAE Deal: What’s Next?

Video Of The Week - Israel-UAE Peace Deal https://tinyurl.com/y29zubzo

For other correspondents reactions go to: BESA  -  https://tinyurl.com/yx9dnljr

Respondents: Lahav Harkov, Hillel Frisch, Asaf Romirowsky, Edy Cohen, Alex Joffe, Spyridon Plakoudas, James Dorsey

  Q:  On August 13, 2020, in what President Donald Trump called a “truly historic moment,” Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) agreed to a peace agreement called the Abraham Accord. The UAE is thus the third Arab country, after Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994, to formally normalize relations with Israel. Security cooperation, business relations, tourism, direct flights, scientific collaboration, and many other things are expected to flourish under the deal—but the implications for the wider region are open questions.

Lahav Harkov, Diplomatic Correspondent, The Jerusalem Post

Two days after the big announcement of the peace deal, the UAE lifted its ban on phone calls from Israel, with Israeli FM Gabi Ashkenazi and his Emirati counterpart Abdullah bin Zayed inaugurating the newly opened line of communication. And that is not the only case of an immediate application of the terms of the deal. A team from the Israeli foreign ministry is now in Abu Dhabi looking for a site for the future Israeli embassy; there is a new flow of Emirati investment in Israeli companies working on innovative ways to treat and test for the coronavirus; business deals are being drawn up between Israeli start-ups and companies in the UAE; and Israir is working on setting up direct flights from Tel Aviv to Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

There is also the possibility that this deal will have a domino effect and inspire other states in the region to bring their behind-the-scenes ties with Israel out into the open. Bahrain is widely considered most likely to be the next Gulf State to make this move. Oman’s FM Yousuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah spoke with Ashkenazi soon after the UAE deal was signed. Earlier this year, PM Benjamin Netanyahu met with Sudanese leader Abdel Fattah Burhan, which could signal a coming breakthrough on that front as well. Though Khartoum did fire a Sudanese FM spokesman for speaking on the subject—he expressed hope that peace could be achieved based on comments made by Israeli intelligence minister Eli Cohen—it has not denied that the two governments are in contact.

There is a lot of talk about the UAE trying to buy F-35s from the US. This makes Israel uncomfortable, as Netanyahu has told Washington on multiple occasions that he opposes such deals as they would compromise Israel’s qualitative military edge (QME). While this story did rain on the Israeli peace parade somewhat, it is unlikely to threaten peace or normalization with the UAE. An arms deal of that magnitude would take years to be completed, and in the meantime, open ties between Jerusalem and Abu Dhabi will have time to flourish. Plus, there are many steps along the way, in the White House and at Congress, at which such a sale could be abandoned. It remains to be seen how the F-35 story will end, and Israel is right to be wary of any threats to its QME. But that should not put a damper on the historic magnitude of this occasion

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More Questions And Answers

 Q.  Why do you say there is no peace partner?

    A.

•    Can you identify even one Arab country or political movement that hasn’t wanted to destroy Israel, and has recognized Israel’s right to exist, other than Morocco? Egypt and Jordan have signed peace agreements with Israel?

•     State the truth about Islamic responses to peace negotiations; the resolution since 1967 being “No Peace with Israel, No Negotiations with Israel, No recognition of Israel.” Several countries have sought peace and several emirates are now considering it, but that is not the case with the Palestinian Authority or Hamas.

•     Israel will join peace in the Middle East when there is peace in the Middle East. Reference to “the Middle East Conflict” rarely references all the wars in which Arabs are killing Arabs, but focuses on the conflict between Israel and residents of Gaza, Judea and Samaria, but that is minor in comparison. The conflicts in the Arab Muslim world have been that way for centuries!

•     Consider this—there is no peace among the Arab tribes that currently reside in Judea and Samaria—here is a solution for peace: http://www.palestinianemirates.com

•     End the Palestinian Authority and deal with 8 tribal groups as a solution to the conflict.

Q.  I disagree with Israel’s policies, so don’t I have the right to boycott Israel?

       A.

•     Would you give up your cellphone, medicines or other products invented or produced by Israel? See the hypocrisy if you won’t.

•     Do you agree with all Canadian government policies?

•     Do you boycott other countries which ignore human rights such as China, Cuba, Russia, Uganda (where it’s illegal to be LGBTQ), to name a few?

•     There is no apartheid in Israel and there is equality for women, minorities and LGBTQ folks in Israel so rather than support the annual Anti-Israel Apartheid Week which perpetuates lies, isn’t it time to create Arab Apartheid Month at universities?

•     To combat the profs who support BDS and spread lies and anti-Semitism, organize seniors to register and audit classes, then publish names of profs and courses that do spread lies.

•     What about the jobs created by Israeli companies that employ Arabs and do you realize that boycotts kill Arab jobs?

 Q.  How can you claim Anti-Zionism is Anti-Semitism when Israel has policies we don’t support

  A.

•     Does Canada have policies we don’t support? Does Canada have the right to exist? (Or any other country?)

•     Israelis have many disputes with the government so isn’t the matter their national concern and not ours?

•     To say Jews can’t defend themselves is anti-Semitism.

•     There is a Double standard, one should compare Israel to other democracies, and note it often fares better.

•     One should also hold the Arabs accountable, rather than having such low expectations of Muslim countries.

•     Neo/New anti-Semitism is anti-Zionist, blaming the only Jewish state for matters outside of its control, hate-mongering, character assassinating, demonizing and stereotyping.

•     Let’s “Take back Zionism” which is the positive view of Jewish nationalism in the Jewish homeland.

•     Read The Strange Death of Europe by Douglas Murray.

•     Multiculturalism should not be cultural relativism as not all cultures are equal.

•     Political Correctness = danger, read Israel: Reclaiming the Narrative by Barry Shaw and Eurabia by Bat Ye'or.

Q.  Isn’t Israel a racist – apartheid state given the Nation State Law?

      A.

•     No, the Nation State Law does not infringe on the civil and human rights of minorities.

•     Define apartheid which existed under state legislation in South Africa, denying rights to a majority of the citizens, whereas in Israel all residents are equal before the law and share in human rights under the law.

•     Name an Arab or Muslim state in which there is equality for all of its citizens?

•     The Nation State Law is not the only Basic Law; other Basic Laws protect the rights of all people in Israel.

Q.  Why is Israel attacking civilians in Gaza?

      A.

•     How many missiles would you allow on your city or town before reacting? Would any Country choose not to defend its own citizens when attacked? Are you aware that Hamas pays people to participate in their rallies and attacks and punishes those who don’t?

     Q.  How can Israel deny the Right of Return to Arabs who fled in 1948?

     A.

•     I support the right of Arabs to return to the Arab countries from which they came in the late 1800s and early 1900s when Jews began to settle in Palestine and created more opportunity and improved standard of living. Most came from neighboring lands that were designated countries after Partition, just as Israel was.

•     If the Palestinian Arabs deserved a state, why didn’t Jordan give them one during its 19 years of occupation of Judea and Samaria, which they renamed the West Bank. The Jordanians did not recognize the Arab inhabitants as a separate people during its 7000 days of occupation.

•     Jerusalem was never the capital of any state but the Jewish state, and it was never important to the Arabs until after the 1967 war, at which time the concept of a “Palestinian people” emerged.

•     According to the UN High Commission on Refugees (UNHCR), one can only be a refugee for a maximum of 10 years, but under UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine (UNRWA) there is no end to the time an Arab can claim refugee status and it’s an inherited status, thus after 70 years, even Arab Palestinians settled abroad are consider refugees.

•     Why have Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and Egypt denied citizenship, permanent residency status and access to jobs, education and services to Arabs who fled Israel 70+ years ago?

•     Why have over 889,000 Jews who were forcibly expelled from 8 Arab countries never been recognized as refugees or received any funds from the UN or its agencies?

     Questions from either the Left or Right are often intended to undermine Israel’s right to exist or to defend herself, and they are often couched in bias, in ignorance or in oft repeated lies. We encourage people to read and practice responding. You will no longer feel impotent in defending Israel, the only Nation State of the Jewish People.

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