Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) reached a landmark accord brokered and sealed by President Trump on August 13, 2020, marking the third Israel-Arab peace deal since Israel’s declaration of independence in 1948, after Egypt and Jordan. This could presage a broader realignment in the region as the two nations agreed to ‘full normalisation of relations’ in exchange for Israel suspending annexation of occupied West Bank territory (Judea and Samaria). Annexation would make these West Bank areas officially part of Israel.
Israel and UAE agreed to exchange embassies and ambassadors, and begin cooperation across the board and on a broad range of areas, including tourism, education, health care, trade, and security. Until now Israel has had no diplomatic relations with Gulf Arab countries. There have, however, only been unofficial contacts between them owing to shared worries over Iran. An important element of the deal for the UAE is the expectation that its citizens would be able to visit the Al-Aksa mosque in Jerusalem. This deal is a significant step towards building a more peaceful, secure, and prosperous Middle East.
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The Trump administration’s ‘Vision for Peace’ would enable Israel to apply its law to 30 per cent of Judea and Samaria, including all settlements and the Jordan Valley. The rest of the West Bank would be designated for an eventual Palestinian state, which would receive recognition and a $50 billion aid package from the US if it meets a list of pre-conditions, including demilitarisation and stopping incitement and salaries for terrorists.
President Trump called the deal between Prime Minister Netanyahu and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan “a truly historic moment”.
In a TV address, Mr Netanyahu said he had “delayed” West Bank annexation plans, but those plans were still “on the table”. Mr Netanyahu said Israel would cooperate with the UAE in developing a coronavirus vaccine, in energy, water, environmental protection, and many other fields. He said the agreement would usher in a new era of peace between Israel and the Arab world.
Though unclear as to how long annexation would remain suspended, Netanyahu emphasised that he did not and would not remove sovereignty from the agenda and that he would never give up on Israel’s right to its land.
As per analysts, the deal could mean a foreign policy victory for President Trump, who will be seeking re-election in November, and also give a personal boost to Prime Minister Netanyahu, who is leading a fragile, fractious coalition government and faces trial on corruption charges. The approval ratings of both leaders have dropped because of their response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
But this treaty drew flak from opposite sides of the ideological spectrum in the region. Some Israeli settlers and their political allies were disappointed that Netanyahu would “suspend” claim sovereignty over West Bank territory, while Palestinians felt betrayed by an Arab nation leaving them to remain locked in an untenable status quo, calling the day as a “black day” in the history of Palestine, saying that the Palestinian people had not authorised anyone to make concessions to Israel in exchange for anything.
The deal was strongly condemned by Hamas leadership and Iran.
However, the deal was applaused by some states of the region, including Egypt and Oman.