According to Abu Dhabi, they also helped to secure the region, but as the Gaza War has progressed, the price of a deal that is seen as being made at the expense of Palestinians has increased. Increased trade, fresh arms supplies, a better reputation in the West, and the UAE’s political capital in Washington were all benefits of the treaties.
The agreements pose a dilemma for Emirati leaders due to regional resentment, leading to harassment of Emirati nationals in the Middle East and frustration over the UAE’s alleged inaction towards Gaza and continued relations with Israel. The war’s impact on Middle Eastern tensions also puts the UAE’s declared objective of regional peace and connectivity in jeopardy.
What are the Abraham Accords?
Together with Bahrain, the UAE signed the Abraham Accords in September 2020. In October and December of the same year, Morocco and Sudan also reached accords with Israel. Although Oman and Qatar established Israeli trade offices in 1996 (only to close them in 2000), Gulf governments have been interacting with Israel on security and commercial issues for years, primarily in the background.
In the five years before the accords, officials from the Emirati and Israeli governments secretly met to discuss security in the region, Iran’s threat, and possible military cooperation. In 2015, Israel and the International Renewable Energy Agency opened a diplomatic office for the first time in Abu Dhabi. After about three years, the UAE helped move forward the reconciliation efforts between Israel and Turkey.
This program has not entirely solved Abu Dhabi’s issues with other nearby capitals, though it has led to efforts to improve ties with Israel and Iran and lessen disputes with Qatar, Syria, and Turkey. An Emirati official pointed out that the agreements would create a new scenario where cooperation between the two sides could be a reality.
The Impact of the Gaza war on UAE-Israel relations
The Israeli war in Gaza has increased criticism of the accords. Emirati and other Arab opinion leaders, in interviews with Crisis Group and media outlets, emphasize how shortsighted it is for the leaders of the nations that have normalized relations with Israel, such as the UAE, to think that the Palestinian issue can be avoided in Arab-Israeli relations.
The UAE’s reputation in the area has deteriorated since October 7. 67% of participants in sixteen Arabic-speaking nations thought the Emirati strategy for the war in Gaza was poor or extremely poor. An image-conscious state faces challenges due to the region’s growing anti-Emirati attitude. Because of the UAE’s ties with Israel, the government is worried about accusations of harassment and name-calling of Emirati nationals when they go to other regions of the Middle East.
The Emirati government is also frustrated with the normalization deals at home as if the regional backlash wasn’t concerning enough. The connection is no longer supported by prominent Emiratis who earlier supported the agreement. “Israel humiliated those who signed the accords.”
UAE’s role as a diplomatic intermediary in the Israel-Palestine conflict
The relationship with Israel is nevertheless defended by Emirati leaders, who claim that it enables them to at least help those in need. Crisis Group was informed by an Emirati businessman that “we did not abandon the Palestinians.” We were able to swiftly mobilize and deliver humanitarian supplies because of our relations with Israel. The United Arab Emirates provided more than $34 million in help for Gaza within a week of the war’s outbreak and deployed a plane with medical supplies to al-Arish in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula.
To address water scarcity in the strip, the nation has built a desalination plant and a field and maritime hospital and transported children for medical treatment throughout the last six months.
Abu Dhabi raised its support for the UN Relief Agency as Western donors withdrew funds due to alleged Hamas ties.
What does the UAE think about its relationship with Israel?
The UAE thinks that having a direct line to Israel as a result of the Abraham Accords has been beneficial. An Emirati official told Crisis Group, “We’ve been using normalization, leveraging our relationship with Israel, to help alleviate the humanitarian situation,” suggesting that this accomplishment is sufficient for the time being. The deals, however, did little to safeguard Emirati humanitarian initiatives, as seen by the Israeli attack on World Central Kitchen, an Emirati partner in Gaza, on April 2.
Additionally, the UAE thinks that because of its official connection with Israel, it is well-positioned to support attempts to end the conflict in the long run as well as post-war rehabilitation in Gaza. Abu Dhabi has stated unequivocally that a “viable two-state solution plan” is required before it will contribute to reconstruction funding. Supporters argue that maintaining the link is a means of ensuring that Israel “sees itself as connected to the rest of the region,” rather than “moral normalization,” as one Emirati scholar put it.
Regional implications of UAE-Israel ties for Gulf politics
The question of whether the UAE has more influence over Israel and how it might use it has been raised by the treaties, which have resulted in closer and more varied connections between the two countries. The UAE is now frequently referred to as Israel’s primary conduit to the Arab world. Abu Dhabi set up an overland route from the UAE to Israel to offset trade losses from Houthi attacks; the UAE’s national airline offers direct flights to Tel Aviv.
The two nations have also put a lot of effort into fostering an atmosphere that encourages reciprocal investment. While a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement permits Emirati businesses to conduct business in Israel and vice versa, their central banks have a cooperation agreement. Israeli investors have been drawn to the Gulf state by this deal and the first and only visa exemption agreement between Israel and an Arab state.
Israel and the UAE collaborate on security matters as well. They co-produce modern weaponry systems and engage in combined naval drills. The UAE has also purchased weapons from Israel, including cutting-edge air defense systems.
End up
Since Israel is unlikely to respond to pressure from the UAE on this issue, the UAE will not push Israel hard on the Palestinian matter and risk harming their relationship. But, due to the conflict in Gaza, the UAE might find it hard to achieve its aim of uniting the Middle East or to fully benefit from the Abraham Accords in principle. Both of these elements were underscored during the April conflict between Israel and Iran.
There are actions that Emirati officials may take that would increase the price of Israel’s assault in Gaza but would not completely withdraw from the normalization agreement. For instance, the UAE might follow Bahrain and Turkey’s example and temporarily terminate commercial links with Israel in an attempt to limit or eliminate the economic lifeline that these ties provide Israel.
