Gulf media: Israel-Gulf relations are an 'alliance of stability'
The goal of the Gulf states is to recreate a security framework that has been eroded since the 1990s.
By SETH J. FRANTZMANL to R: Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Abdullatif Al Zayani, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US President Donald Trump and United Arab Emirates (UAE) Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed participate in the signing ceremony of the Abraham Accords. September 15, 2020(photo credit: REUTERS/TOM BRENNER)
The new agreements between Israel and the Gulf represent a major step toward achieving an alliance of stability in the Middle East that is based on political realism, argued an author at Al-Ain media on Friday.The article by Yahya al-Talidi appears representative of the argument in favor of the current Abraham Accords and the world view they represent. Al-Talidi argues that this breakthrough in relations comes amid an atmosphere of optimism. He points to comments in the US that indicate up to five or six more countries could move toward normalization with Israel.A new era is arriving.“This historic treaty will change the face of the region. The logic of sovereignty and political realism [underpin the agreements] and are an assertion that the axis of stability in the region.”He asserts that this is part of the process of trying to preserve national state borders in the face of the “project of chaos.” That project is unnamed, but he notes that this is a pivotal moment in the Middle East and represents a “great loss for the forces of evil and terrorism in Tehran and Ankara.” He also asserts that “Doha and their affiliates are from the Brotherhood and Hezbollah militias.” That “misguidance from previous eras” is in contrast to the “clarity and courage” today embodied by the countries willing to work with Israel towards stability.The overall point he is making is that currently, Iran has sought to occupy four countries: Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen, while Turkey “occupies areas in Syria, Iraq and Libya.”What that means is that the relations between Israel, Egypt, Jordan, the UAE and Bahrain, for now, represent stability against the chaos being spread in the states influenced by Iran and Turkey.Iran and Turkey are a threat to security and stability in the Gulf and regional leaders have been asked to put their countries and interests first and work with Israel to confront this threat from Ankara and Tehran via “fruitful cooperation with Tel Aviv.”“As for the Palestinian issue, the Gulf states have made major political efforts and provided financial support for this important cause, however the quarrels of the Palestinian leadership caused all these major efforts to fail,” he writes. The Palestinian divisions thus became an obstacle to obtaining their rights and establishing a state. “Therefore, it is the natural right of the Gulf states to turn to what serves their supreme interests first. It is no longer possible to serve those who did not serve themselves.”
This “fall of the separation wall between the Gulf states and Israel” represents a major recalibration in the equation that underpins the balance in the region and can open up economic, political and security horizons that were “closed for decades” and this means embracing cooperation with Israel, he argues.Israel has made undeniable progress on economic, security and technical levels and that will serve the national interests of the Gulf, he writes. “It will have the best impact on national security, and in the relentless effort in the face of terrorism. Today, the world must realize that it is facing a historic moment to support and build a new future in the most turbulent region in the world through the belief in future moderate civil projects and entities in the face of extremist entities and unrealistic losing strategies.”The article at Al-Ain represents the clearest and most succinct explanation of what underpinned the decision to move forward with the agreement last week in Washington. If this comes to fruition, as already appears to be happening with economic deals, Israel, the UAE and Bahrain will form a kind of hub linked to Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Greece, Cyprus and other states that will form an alliance system. This will be challenged by Turkey and Iran, both of whom prefer to use armed aggression throughout the region, and only seem to believe in the language of the gun, rather than investing in universities and infrastructure.For instance, Turkey’s illegal occupation of northern Syria has not resulted in peace, but rather, new reports from human rights groups indicate that Turkish-backed extremists have engaged in rape, targeted looting, and murder against Kurdish minorities.In addition, Turkish-backed mercenaries in Libya are accused of abuses. Iran’s Hezbollah and Kataib Hezbollah are both involved in sowing chaos and economic failure in Lebanon and Iraq. There is no example of Iran and Turkey making a country more stable and successful through their involvement, rather, they have hollowed out and eaten away at states like Iraq and Syria.The goal of the Gulf states is to restore a security framework that has eroded since the 1990s. They face unprecedented challenges on their borders not seen since Saddam Hussein’s 1990 invasion of Kuwait, and the tanker conflict with Iran in the 1980s.This means that they have decided to push forward on their own, realizing that waiting forever for relations with Israel was hurting them more than it was helping them. Having weighed this, the article at Al-Ain provides a clear step-by-step logic behind the new era that appears to be emerging.
