https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/israel-and-the-uae-a-reality-check/
The Israeli agreement with the United Arab Emirates is being touted
as everything from “huge,” “stunning,” and “historical” to a “betrayal,”
“diversion,” or “sellout.” In truth, it is not any one of these, but
contains something of all of the above. Given the plethora of reports,
commentaries, analyses, and reactions, it is especially important to put
the Israel-UAE rapprochement in perspective — to try to understand how
it contributes to Israel’s integration into the region through the
achievement of a comprehensive peace with its neighbors. In order to do
so, it is necessary to specify what it is, what it is not, and where it
could lead.
A normalization agreement, not a peace treaty. The
impending formalization of the more than two-decade informal
relationship between Israel and the United Arab Emirates is an important
breakthrough in Israel’s ties with the Arab world. Motives aside, it
constitutes a major achievement for Mohammed bin Zayed, Benjamin
Netanyahu and for its broker, Donald Trump. It is yet another step in
Israel’s continual quest for workable accords with Arab countries,
following its successful treaties with Egypt and Jordan. It follows the
same logic as its predecessors, forging long-term understandings with
surrounding states — often on its periphery — but studiously bypassing
the much knottier Palestinian core of the Israeli-Arab conflict.
