The deal struck between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Israel was one of the hot button topics of the week. The UAE is the third country after Egypt and Jordan to officially establish diplomatic ties with Israel. However, the timing of the UAE joining this network of relations has a whole other dimension to it.
This consensus comes at a time when Israel's plans to annex West Bank outraged the entire Muslim world and, as a matter of fact, important factions in the Western world as well; it comes at a time when efforts such as Trump’s “Deal of the Century” is being put forth, through which efforts are made to have Jerusalem recognized as Israel’s capital city, heedlessly continue. Israel, with its rampant aggressive policies, being awarded by an Arab country – while it should instead be receiving harsh reactions from the whole world – only serves to encourage all the aggressive policies it will be implementing from now on.
Although it was announced that the annexation of certain areas in West Bank, which Israel has been implementing for some time now, has been suspended, it was soon revealed that everything is not as it seems. It is apparent that such an announcement was made against an initial unrest that could prevent the UAE from appearing to have served Israel everything on a golden platter without receiving anything in return. It was shortly denied anyway. Israel did not even make such a gesture to the UAE, which is so ready to voluntarily serve itself. Thus, it did not even see any need to save its honor, dignity or save face.
As expected, the deal was seen as complete betrayal against Palestine and, in fact, the entire Muslim world. However, it should also be noted that this deal only brought to light what was being hidden, making official a relation that already existed in secrecy. The UAE has long been serving as Israel’s Trojan horse in the Muslim world anyway.
All the policies that the UAE is implementing in the region directly or indirectly serve Israel’s interests. The truth of the matter is that there is no data regarding how the policies the UAE is currently implementing in the region will benefit itself. The UAE is doing nothing other than sowing the seeds of unrest across the Muslim world.
What sort of logic could there be in this? What could the ultimate goal be? How could all this serve the UAE’s interests? I do not think there could be any international relations theory or explanation that could possibly answer these questions. In fact, all these questions can be answered once we consider the sort of state the UAE has become in the hands of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed.
All that bin Zayed has done in the whole of the Middle East, from Yemen to Egypt, Sudan to Qatar, Libya to Tunisia, Iraq to Palestine and Syria, Morocco to Turkey, do nothing but add to his own crimes. Yet, when everything he has done is considered in terms of Israel’s interests in the Middle East, all the missing pieces of the puzzle are found, and the big picture becomes clear. Zayed’s existence is a gift to Israel.
The Arab Spring had the potential to greatly endanger Israel. Had the Arab Spring gone as planned, Israel would have been in deep trouble with countries such as Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Syria, each of whose leaders put their own people in the line of fire. It could not have dared to implement its current annexation plans, let alone find the convenient atmosphere to declare Jerusalem as its capital. As a matter of fact, since the Arab Spring process would have paved the way for the democratization of Arab countries, significant administration quality and development would have inevitably followed. Being surrounded by powerful, manageable administrations that are at peace with their people and can be held responsible for their actions is the last thing Israel would want. Loud and clear: it is impossible to continue the Camp David order with democratic administrations.
Therefore, the course of affairs was dangerous and had to be stopped. However, Israel could not possibly do this on its own. So, bin Zayed did it voluntarily for and in the name of Israel.
There is no other explanation for Zayed’s fear of democracy. What he is trying to demonize in the Islamic world, pointing to the Muslim Brotherhood and political Islam, is nothing other than democracy itself. On the contrary, his own political style and mentality is more dangerous, more intolerant, more fascist and despot than even the most fundamentalist, most radical, most bigoted religious notions. The war crimes he is committing in Yemen, the terrorist organizations he is supporting in Somalia, Syria and Libya are more than enough to stop him from referring to any organization as “terrorist.”
Zayed is behind all sorts of terrorist operations in the Islamic world, and he is trying to whitewash all these with the services he is providing Israel’s Zionist policies. But to what extent can he achieve this? He will eventually be held accountable for all the violence, terror, coups, and unrest he has caused in the Islamic world.
Zayed’s deal with Israel is nothing other than the revelation of a relationship that was already in existence.
In a sense, this exposure serves the greater good. The world is no longer going to be subjected to his hypocrisy; up until now, bin Zayed hasn’t practiced what he preached. This deal is not going to legitimize Israel’s occupation; it is not going to ensure its acceptance in the Islamic world, not in the slightest.
Furthermore, just as Zayed’s close friendship with Israel is not going to benefit him in any way, it is also going to bring about his end.
