The Zionist-UAE Deal isn’t About Peace at All
The Israel-UAE Deal isn’t About Peace at All
BY PHYLLIS BENNIS
Photograph Source: rjzaar – CC BY 2.0
In some ways, the U.S.-brokered plan for mutual recognition between Israel and the United Arab Emirates is big news. For more than a quarter of a century, only two Middle Eastern countries — Egypt and Jordan — had officially recognized Israel. None of the Gulf monarchies did.
So, it was a pretty big deal when the announcement was made. Except, actually, not so much.
Despite the UAE’s claimed adherence to a decades-long position that no Arab country should normalize relations with Israel until it ended its occupation of Palestinian land, ties between the UAE and Israel had been quietly underway for years. The same is true of many other Arab states.
Quiet but not-qu...



