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Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump are successful. Image: EPA / EPA POOL
Is the double Middle East peace really a Trump achievement?
Israel establishes diplomatic relations with two Arab states. The president of the United States, Donald Trump, presents himself as a great negotiator. What is to be done with it?
In the 71st year of its existence, Israel has had considerable success. With Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), two Arab states want to establish diplomatic relations with the Jewish state at the same time. The deal will be sealed on Tuesday at 12 pm local time (6 pm CEST) at the White House.
In the presence of the President of the United States, Donald Trump, the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, and the foreign ministers of the Emirates and Bahrain will sign the “Abraham Agreement”, the specific content of which will be kept under lock and key until the end. It is named after the biblical patriarch, considered the progenitor of the three main monotheistic religions (Christianity, Judaism and Islam).
How did the conflict in the Middle East arise?
Video: www.explain-it.ch
There were background noises in the run-up to the ceremony. Netanyahu was greeted by angry protesters as he took off Monday night. His government decided on another crown closure on Sunday. There were also protests in the Islamic world, but criticism of peace with Israel has died down.
How historic is the agreement?
Israel has fought and won three major wars against its Arab neighbors: the 1948/49 War of Independence, the 1967 Six Day War, and the 1973 Yom Kippur War. Since then, Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1993 have established diplomatic relations with Israel. But this peace is only lived behind the scenes.
Since then, no other Arab countries have been added, so the agreement with Bahrain and the Emirates can be described as “historic”. It was made easier by the fact that neither state had ever waged a war against Israel. However, they are more of the “light hitters” in the Middle East, which puts the meaning in perspective.
Is it a Trump achievement?
In 2018, Israel’s Minister of Culture Miri Regev traveled to Abu Dhabi. Bild: AP / Ministry of Culture and Sports
The US president described the agreement as a “historic breakthrough” and touted himself as a negotiator. However, informal contacts between Israel and the two countries have existed for years. “Trump is sticking his name on a hotel that was actually already built,” said Middle East expert Karim Sadjadpour of the Washington Post.
Critics see Tuesday’s ceremony as a campaign maneuver with which Trump wants to score points with the evangelical electorate, which is strictly pro-Israel. Furthermore, the “front” against arch enemy Iran must be strengthened. This is particularly sensitive in the case of Bahrain. The small kingdom of the Persian Gulf is inhabited mainly by Shiites.
Is it the breakthrough?
Other countries may follow the example of Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, such as the Sultanate of Oman or Morocco. However, a real breakthrough would come if Saudi Arabia, as the self-proclaimed leading power in the Gulf, made peace with Israel. The controversial Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman would be willing to do so.
However, such a step would be tricky, because the Saudi royal family sees itself as the guardian of the holy sites of Islam. Besides Mecca and Medina, this also includes Jerusalem (Al Quds in Arabic), from where the Prophet Muhammad is said to have started his ascension to heaven. Therefore, the Saudis officially adhere to the 2002 peace initiative: diplomatic relations in exchange for a Palestinian state.
Who are the opponents?
Hassan Ruhani and Recep Tayyip Erdogan reject the peace agreement. Image: EPA
Iran and Turkey voiced the harshest criticisms of the deal. In the case of the Iranians, this is not surprising, as they have viewed Israel as a deadly enemy since the overthrow of the Shah in 1979. Turkey, on the other hand, became the first Muslim country to establish diplomatic relations with Israel in 1949. A free trade agreement followed in 2000.
Under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the relationship has deteriorated significantly. In terms of foreign policy, it has been acting more and more aggressively lately, also to divert attention from domestic problems. Yossi Cohen, head of the Mossad secret service, said in August that the real threat to Israel no longer comes from Iran, but from Turkey.
And the Palestinians?
Protest Tuesday in Gaza City against the peace agreement. Image: keystone
In exchange for the deal, Benjamin Netanyahu has to suspend the already decided annexation of 30 percent of the West Bank. Bahrain and the Emirates stressed that they would continue to advocate for a two-state solution. The Emirates maintained “its deep and long-term commitment to the Palestinians,” he said in an article for the “Haaretz” newspaper.
However, the Palestinian leadership in Ramallah regards the peace agreement as a “betrayal of Jerusalem, the Al-Aqsa mosque and the Palestinian cause.” Rival groups Fatah and Hamas, which have tried in vain for a rapprochement for years, have called for a “day of public rejection” on Tuesday.
But that only shows the helplessness of the Palestinians, who need not realize for the first time that the solidarity of their Arab “brothers” is not far off. Now he is taking revenge for having repeatedly rejected the possibilities of a peace with Israel that goes beyond the 1993 Oslo Accord.
