UAE Israel Peace Deal – Burning Issues

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WHY THE PEACE DEAL IS MORE HIGH STAKES FOR THE UAE THAN ISRAEL

UAE has more than one ball in the air to juggle when it comes to normalising relations with its Jewish neighbour.
For Israel, if the agreement falters tomorrow, it could well be just another day of the week.

UAE – Saudi relations at stake
- Unlike the UAE, the Saudi state derives a great deal of its legitimacy from being the protectors of Muslims across the world.
- Saudi Arabia has been engaging with Israel in a clandestine manner but a broader engagement will not be forthcoming until there is a peace accord with the Palestinians.
Why it matters most for UAE?
UAE – Saudi v. Qatar complications in GCC
- Intra-GCC feud between the Saudi-UAE block and Qatar is well into its fourth year now.
- Qatar’s Gulf neighbours closed off their land borders, airspace, and territorial waters to the country and presented it with a list of thirteen demands.
  - stopping all funding for terrorism
  - Downgrade diplomatic ties with Iran and Turkey
  - Closing Al-Jazeera, The New Arab, and other Qatar-based news outlets etc
- Qatar immediately rejected the demands, saying that they were effectively a demand to surrender Qatari sovereignty.
Why it matters most for UAE?
Qatar in Palestine issue now
- In a press statement released on 31 August 2020 by the head of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the pro-Palestine militant group declared that it had come to an agreement with Israel.
- It s said that the deal is brokered by Qatar, to end the latest round of violence.
- Qatari representative Mohamed al-Emadi led the latest settlement cementing Doha’s influence on what is the region’s most fracturing issue.