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How a Saudi-Israeli Alliance Could Benefit the Palestinians

(Atlantic) Hussein Ibish - Many Palestinians and their supporters are likely to conclude that any meaningful efforts at building a new strategic relationship between Israel and Gulf countries like Saudi Arabia will be at their expense. But, in fact, there is every reason for Palestinians to see far more opportunity than danger in these potential developments. A new opening between Saudi Arabia and Israel wouldn't deprive Palestinians of anything they currently possess. The Arab, and especially Saudi, position appears to have evolved lately to accept the virtue of "concurrence," whereby limited Israeli peace moves and concessions toward the Palestinians would be matched by limited Gulf Arab gestures toward Israel. The idea is that new paths to an eventual peace between Israel and the Palestinians could be created, and then the full normalization with the Arab and Muslim worlds for Israel can be accomplished. Naturally this isn't what Palestinians would ideally want. However, it may be the best they can hope for under the circumstances, and certainly seems to be the only game in town. Though they may have to adjust their expectations, the Palestinians definitely stand to be net beneficiaries of a greater openness between Israel and Arab countries that, politically, would have to insist on movement on Palestinian issues in order to develop a new strategic relationship with the Jewish state. It would be wise for Palestinians to look for ways of maximizing how this dynamic can work for them rather than indulging in knee-jerk denunciations and recriminations that will gain them nothing. The writer is a senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington.
2017-11-23 00:00:00
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