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Bloomberg: The UAE wants to ensure its security by normalizing relations with Israel

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A report published by the Bloomberg revealed that the agreement that the UAE and Israel will sign within days would not lead to a complete normalization of relations, but it will be the beginning of a process to protect the interests of the Gulf state, which is strongly pressuring the United States to buy the latest model of its warplanes.

Two informed sources revealed, on condition of anonymity to discuss confidential conversations, that the agency that the plan would gradually increase cooperation between the two parties over a year, starting with economic cooperation, then deepening security and intelligence relations, and ending with the exchange of ambassadors.

Nimrod Novik, a veteran Israeli peace negotiator and fellow at the Israel Policy Forum, a think-tank, said that while interim agreements are at risk of being stalled in moving from one stage to the next, the Emiratis seem to have concluded that this is “less dangerous than waking up one morning.” Moreover, the discovery that their primary step – the historic move – turns into a complete failure.”

Besides, full normalization remains a difficult issue for the UAE. Because of the resistance inside the Arab world because the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is not resolved yet.

However, Abu Dhabi has focused a lot on the fact that Israel has agreed to suspend annexation of the occupied West Bank lands, which the Palestinians demand that this deal stipulate that those lands be part of their state.

Furthermore, if the fragile Israeli ruling coalition collapses and the country heads into another election round, renewed pressure could be put on Netanyahu to pledge annexation to bolster his hard-line political wing.

While US President Donald Trump did not win a second term in the November 2020 elections, delaying full normalization until after the vote gives the UAE leverage with the new US administration.

For his part, Fawaz Gerges, professor of Middle East politics at the London School of Economics, said: “Mohammed bin Zayed knows very well that there is a price he will pay for his reputation, and it may not only be in the Emirates. By maintaining an actual, personal distance from the signing ceremony (indicating that the ruler of Abu Dhabi did not attend the signing of the agreement), he keeps his options open, meaning that he has “no personal responsibility linking him to the signing ceremony.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had said that “the two peace agreements that he will sign with the UAE and Bahrain in Washington will pump billions into the economy of Israel.”

This came in press statements made by Netanyahu before boarding the plane that took off from Tel Aviv to Washington, to attend the signing ceremony of the two normalization agreements with the UAE and Bahrain, under the auspices of US President Donald Trump.

“These agreements will unify diplomatic peace with economic peace and will pump billions into our economy through investments, cooperation, and joint projects,” Netanyahu said, according to a statement issued by his office that collected his statements.

“I travel to achieve peace in exchange for peace, and we reached two peace agreements within just one month,” he added.

Netanyahu’s statements that he will sign “Peace in exchange for peace, peace based on strength,” yet this did not prevent criticism within Israel’s coalition government for the secrecy that Netanyahu confers on the agreement.

Israeli media indicated that until now, and one day before the agreement’s signing, it remains unclear what kind of agreement will be signed tomorrow, asking: Will it be a peace agreement or a normalization agreement?

The Israeli public radio reported that criticism is rising within the Israeli government coalition against the secret “details and provisions” in the agreement between Israel, the UAE, and Bahrain, especially in light of Netanyahu’s insistence unilaterally negotiating and deciding.

The radio website pointed out that MK Moshe Arbil, from the Haredi Shas movement, directed an official questioning to Netanyahu about this issue, and this included his question to Netanyahu, did he agree to freeze construction in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank in exchange for the two peace agreements with the two Emirates states. And Bahrain? Did Netanyahu agree to the establishment of a Palestinian state?

These criticisms also come after Netanyahu refused to present the agreement’s details for deliberation in the Knesset. Erbil said that he had not received answers to his questions, but he expects full transparency, as there is a “continuous freeze on construction in the settlements, and we have to know what the price we pay for this agreement.”

The website indicated that “until the moment Netanyahu took off for Washington, the details of the agreement had not been revealed,” and that the occupation prime minister, contrary to his habit, did not make any statements this time.

On the other hand, before ascending the plane, the Mossad chief told reporters that he hoped other countries would join, “we are working on that.”

According to various Israeli and American statements, the US administration continues to exert pressure on Gulf countries, especially the Sultanate of Oman and Saudi Arabia, and other Arab countries such as Sudan and Morocco, to join peace and normalization agreements with Israel.