(MENAFN- The Conversation) It's generally reckoned to be one of Donald Trump's few major foreign policy achievements. On August 13 2020, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Israel signed a historic agreement normalising relations between the two states, and in the weeks that followed, other Arab states followed Abu Dhabi's lead in what became known as the .
The accords, which have now been ratified by UAE, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan, were as a major diplomatic breakthrough in Arab-Israeli relations, recognising – as they did – ''each state's right to sovereignty and to live in peace and security''. Yet, although the accords expressed the need to continue ''efforts to achieve a just, comprehensive, and enduring resolution of the Israeli- Palestinian conflict'', most observers recognised the agreements as another step in the of the cause of Palestinian statehood, simply through normalising relations without a resolution of the Palestinian question.
As put it:
This calculation was made against the backdrop of uncertainty ahead of the November US presidential election. Now, less than nine months later, as Israelis and Palestinians enter a new round of violence, questions about the by signatories of the accords .
Bad optics
The have been afforded blanket coverage on international news outlets and have provoked for their lack of support for Palestinians. As you would expect, there has been in Jerusalem and Gaza from all Arab states. But it has typically been '' '' among signatories to the accords.
Footage of airstrikes and images of the devastation have caused an outcry across the Middle East. EPA-EFE/Mohammed Saber As the violence has increased, official responses from states who normalised relations with Israel have largely been absent. Meanwhile, in the UEA – which has very on social media activity – prominent influencers in the UAE have praised Israeli behaviour, even during the storming of the al-Aqsa mosque – the third holiest site in Islam.
Wassem Yousef, a prominent Emirati cleric, posted a number of tweets for the escalation, referring to the increasing violence as an ''epidemic''. The cleric has previously declared that Palestinians do not ''really deserve Jerusalem'', expressing support for Emirati normalisation with Israel.
A strong concern for the UAE – and other signatories to the accords – is the fear about the proliferation of Islamist groups across the region, with a particular focus on the Muslim Brotherhood. This was clear after the Arab Spring uprisings and the taken to bottle up fundamentalism. So curtailing the actions of Hamas – which possesses with the Brotherhood – is an important feature of Abu Dhabi's broader world view.
But the absence of serious criticism of the Israeli response may also open up unrest among their populations. According to a on the normalisation of ties with Israel, ordinary citizens have low levels of support for such developments. In Lebanon, where far the highest level of support for normalisation is found, only 20% favoured peace. Elsewhere, support was under 10%, with only 3% of Jordanians supporting normalisation.
This doesn''t mean any of the states concerned will fully withdraw, given the benefits to be gleaned from maintaining relations. But the optics of providing visible support to Israel at a time when Gaza is under bombardment are potentially damaging. What this suggests is a possible return to the days prior to the accords when relations between Israel and the Arab states conducted their relations behind closed doors.
Turkey and Iran
Meanwhile Iran and Turkey, which strongly criticised the accords as '' '' of all Muslims and a ''betrayal'' of the Muslim world, have reacted strongly, with both and roundly condemning the violence.
In doing so, the countries – which have – are speaking the words many across the Middle East wished their own leaders would use to condemn Israeli violence. Once again, the Palestinian cause has become a tool through which regional powers can derive legitimacy.
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Conspicuous by his absence is the US president, Joe Biden. Less than six months into his presidency, the Biden administration has embarked on a bold foreign policy, over the nuclear deal, and working to resolve the Yemen crisis.
Yet the failure to engage with the Israel-Palestine question lays bare the deep schisms in US politics – where the Israel Lobby continues to exert huge influence – and the legacy of the Trump regime. Undoing Trump's empowerment of the is far trickier than undoing his other policies.
All the while, ordinary Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem continue to pay the heaviest price.
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