Washington Post: Good News in the Middle East about Normalization Will Turn into Bitter Taste

The Washington Post reported today, Tuesday, in an article by researcher Ezzedine Fischer, that what accompanied the normalization agreements between the UAE, Bahrain and Israel were only good news short-term and may not last long.

The author continued: We see large amounts of welcome for the decision of normalization and excessive talk about peace with Israel, and the coming days will enjoy an exchange of flights and tourism between Tel Aviv and the rest of the Arab capitals. The author of the article pointed out that the UAE and Bahrain have not engaged in any conflict with Israel, as is the case with regard to the actual wars taking place in Yemen, Syria, Lebanon and Libya, since the normalization agreements do not come close to ending these wars, but rather they are likely to increase them.

In other words, these agreements open the door for Israel to become a fuller partner in the Arab Gulf War against Iran, and perhaps Turkey. The writer pointed out that the normalization of relations between the UAE and Bahrain with Israel without a real peace agreement between Israel and Palestine would further erode the prospects for a two-state solution. Whereas, the idea of normalization was based in 2002, on the promise of Israel to completely withdraw from the territories occupied in 1967.

Ezzedin Fischer added: The withdrawal is now closed, and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu will not make any regional concessions in order to win the recognition of the Arab countries. Fischer noted that the Palestinians’ deep sense of betrayal will exacerbate their conflict with the occupation forces, and the less liberal people among the Palestinians will make sure that they believe that “armed resistance” is the only way forward.

The writer concluded by saying that the normalization of relations with Israeli enemy would lead to widening the gap between the Arab rulers and their peoples. “Arab public opinion has always been hostile to Israel, and Arab regimes often feed this hostility to divert attention from their failures, but when these regimes felt the need to recognize Israel, they were bound by the hostility they ignited among their peoples”, he said.