The United Arab Emirates is now the third Arab nation to normalize relations with Israel, the other two being Jordan and Egypt. The Israel-United Arab Emirates agreement, also known as the Abraham Accord, has generated positive and negative reactions from the West and the Middle East.
During the aftermath of the Abraham Accords announcement, Israel agreed to suspend its plans for annexing parts of the West Bank. This announcement was to the UAE's shock not taken well by Palestinians. Instead of interpreting this condition as one that would benefit them, they saw it as a betrayal from one of their most powerful allies.
Many predict that the UAE taking a step toward developing a relationship with Israel will cause other nations to follow. As more governments establish relations with Israel, Palestine will undoubtedly become more isolated in the region. However, some see this agreement as one that will make the Emirati government widely unpopular.
The United States and President Trump, in particular, have been trying to create a Palestinian-Israeli deal for years but failed. This new agreement between Israel and the UAE will ultimately benefit Trump and Netanyahu the most. Legal woes have surrounded Trump for the majority of his presidency and corruption around Netanyahu. But was the deal worth it to the UAE? Do the benefits of diplomatic relations with Israel outweigh the possibility of losing allies, in a region where allyship equals survival.
Written by Casey Bakarani
Artwork by Zara Masood
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