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Gulf Arab "Exasperation" Led to UAE-Israel Normalization
(Washington Institute for Near East Policy) Yoel Guzansky and Yohanan Tzoreff - There is a growing frustration among Saudi and Emirati leaders with what they define as Palestinian "unresponsiveness" to their calls for greater flexibility in the negotiations with Israel. The new narrative within certain Gulf states was typified earlier this year in the comedic television series "Makhraj 7," a Ramadan feature on the Saudi MBC network. In one scene, a character states: "The real enemy, more so than the Israelis, is the one who does not appreciate your standing by his side, and instead curses you night and day. We fought wars for Palestine, we embargoed our oil for the sake of Palestine, we pay the salaries and expenses of the Palestinian Authority when we ourselves now need that money....And yet in the end, they look for every opportunity to attack Saudi Arabia." The show accurately represents more than a few voices who have accused the Palestinians of "ingratitude" in the face of the large amounts of financial and political support Gulf states have extended to them over the years. Dr. Yoel Guzansky is a Senior Research Fellow and Yohanan Tzoreff is a Senior Researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) at Tel Aviv University.