Gaza Escalation Harms Israel's Links With Arab World, But Abraham Accords Won't Be Severed: Expert
16:52 02.11.2023 (Updated: 17:59 02.11.2023)
© AP Photo / Israel Defense Forces
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Saudi Arabia urges an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the revival of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. The war in Gaza is severely harming relations between Israel and Arab states, according to Dr. Ahmed Al Ibrahim, a political analyst based in Riyadh.
Saudi Arabia on November 1 denounced the Israel Defense Forces' (IDF) strike on the Jabaliya refugee camp "in the strongest terms possible," condemning the targeting of the refugee camp "by the Israeli occupation forces." Israel said the strike was part of the IDF's offensive against Hamas’ Central Jabaliya Battalion, which uses Palestinian civilians as human shields.
As tensions between Israel and the Muslim world continue to escalate, what are the implications for Tel Aviv's relations with Riyadh and the signatories of the 2020 Abraham Accords?
"I think for Morocco, [the] UAE and Bahrain, it will be very tough to freeze, of course," Dr. Ahmed Al Ibrahim, a Riyadh-based political analyst, told Sputnik. "However, there will be some disturb[ance] in the cooperation for them with Israel and not only at the governmental level, but for the business. Because what's happening in Palestine, it's very near and dear to the nationals of these countries. It's not going to be taken lightly on what's been happening for the innocent people was killed for everybody was planning on for the mass massacre that actually has become the genocide that happened to be outstanding."
The current conflict between Israel and Hamas that has claimed the lives of over 1,300 Israelis and more than 8,000 Palestinians has sparked a series of rallies in Arab countries, including those which have normalization treaties with the Jewish state. Hundreds took to the streets in Bahrain waving flags and expressing support for the Palestinians in front of the Israeli Embassy in Manama. It has been recently reported that the Bahraini government decided to recall its ambassador to Israel and suspend economic relations with the Jewish state. Bahrain is one of the states who inked the Abraham Accords with Israel in 2020 brokered by the US.
"People need to understand Hamas is a terrorist organization. This is a fact. However, you are basically punishing, connected the innocent people, women and children especially. And this does not pose a need to help with the people, let alone the governments. So it's going to be some hiccups. It's going to make some hurdles, but it will definitely disrupt the nature of the business. But to freeze the Abraham Accords is not going to be possible because you still want these kind of documents with Israel just been established to contain the problems that is going right now," Al Ibrahim said.
Earlier, Israel and Saudi Arabia have been in US-brokered talks over Riyadh's formal normalization with Tel Aviv. However, following the outbreak of the Gaza war, the negotiations have been reportedly suspended. Saudi Arabia did not condemn the Hamas October 7 attack on Israel. Having met with Biden administration officials earlier this week, Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman emphasized the need for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, the protection of civilians, allowing humanitarian aid to the destitute Palestinians and restarting the peace process in the region.
"Obviously, all the talks about the normalization with Israel has been through the media attached to the US has been stopped and has been put to rest," the Riyahd-based analyst said. "And the more Israel is killing people, the more it's going to be difficult for the crown prince to put it back on track unless there is a magic. A magic solution that happens. The Saudis always stand by the people of Palestine. And the crown prince mentioned it a couple of times. The first thing is to give the two-state solution a chance. And East Jerusalem is the capital of Palestine. Give dignity to the people of Palestine, find a solution for them that they work would be Arab League and the Israeli government, and only just basically to make everybody safe and coexist with everybody. If this war is going to continue and more innocent people are going to kill, this is going to be very tough to go back and sit on the table and discuss the normalization again."
"Today, we understand that Tony Blinken is going to Israel and probably after the visit of the crown prince, [Defense Minister] Khalid bin Salman, maybe there will be some circumstances that kind of stop the war and make things easier so things like might apply what Israel has done," Al Ibrahim concluded.
