Daily Times

Calling the announcement of a deal between the UAE and Israel a bombshell is a sort of exaggeration as both countries have been into cooperation without any formal ties on a single issue for quite some time: Iran. Even two months ago, UAE ambassador to Washington Yousuf Al Otaib wrote in an Israeli newspaper calling for a starting point for establishing ties with Israel for ‘greater security, direct links, expanded markets and growing acceptance’. The silence of the Muslim countries, except for Iran and Turkey, and Palestinian Authority, on the UAE-Israel deal shows that the longtime stance of the Muslim world regarding the restoration of Palestinian dignity through the creation of an independent state for them has become a thing of past. The killer deal, which is being dubbed as the historic deal by the Arab world and elsewhere, was struck between the UAE, Israel and the US, under which the UAE and Israel will have ties in tourism, security and direct flights besides establishing mutual diplomatic missions. As a token of gratitude, the Netanyahu government has announced halting its annexation plans of the West Bank but the plan is not off the table. Palestine President Mahmoud Abbas has rejected a deal, calling it treason with the cause of Palestinians. He has called for an urgent meeting of the Arab League, calling the deal a “betrayal of Jerusalem, Al-Aqsa and the Palestinian cause”. Turkey and Iran have snubbed the third Arab country for establishing ties with Israel. No doubt, now Iran and Turkey have been left to talk about the plights of Palestinians. The deal is, of course, an historic moment for right wingers in Israel who have long been saying that there is no need to take any tangible measures for establishing diplomatic ties with Arab countries. The deal is the last blow to the diplomatic efforts to get a Palestinian state through a negotiated, two-state solution.

The deal provides a moment of reflection for the Pakistani foreign office. So far, the government has maintained an uneasy silence on the issue, which is also a sort of acceptance of the deal. The government, however, has no courage to speak up for it will be an unpopular move, and Turkey and Iran may not take it in a good taste too. Turkey and Iran have supported Pakistan’s stance on Kashmir, whereas Arab countries have sided with India. Pakistan cannot afford losing the UAE because of the remittance factor. The forthcoming time, however, points to the increasing influence of India and Israel in the UAE and KSA. It is time to look for generating foreign exchequers through some other sources instead of relying on UAE-directed remittances. *