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Gulf Normalization Isn't Just about Fearing Iran, It's about Embracing Israel

(Times of Israel) Haviv Rettig Gur - There is no shortage of benefits that have accrued to the countries that normalized relations with Israel. But these benefits don't explain the Emirati government's order that hotels offer kosher food, or the eagerness of the UAE and Bahrain for direct flights to Tel Aviv, or the decision by one sheikh to buy into Jerusalem's Beitar soccer club. They don't explain Morocco's move to introduce a curriculum about the history and culture of the country's Jews into state schools. One explanation for the new warmth involves self-reliance. The Emiratis are convinced that the lack of an American response to the Iranian missile assault on the Aramco facility in Saudi Arabia earlier this year means that America will not come to their rescue in case of war. They cannot help noticing, too, that Israel is not protected by American troops. Even when Israel buys expensive military technologies from abroad, it's not because it is unable to produce its own. There is a strategic shift underway in the broader Arab thinking about Israel. Some in the Arab world now seek to study Israel's strengths, and win for themselves the safety and security Israel has managed to eke out in a chaotic, conflict-prone region. For that, they need Israel's entrepreneurs and scientists. There are two ways to hold at bay an enormous and aggressive Iran perched on one's doorstep. One can rely on stronger friends, or one can become one of those stronger friends.
2020-12-17 00:00:00
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