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The Abraham Accords Passed Their First Big Test

(Foreign Policy) Anchal Vohra - Although there was an outpouring of pro-Palestinian sentiment on social media in Abraham Accord countries during the 2021 Gaza War, there were few signs of outrage on the streets. There was one big rally in Qatar, which shelters Hamas, supports the Muslim Brotherhood, and is an ally of Iran and Turkey. Shmuel Bar, a former Israeli intelligence officer and currently the owner of an Israeli software company that does business with many Arab nations, said his phone has been buzzing with texts from Arab well-wishers since the clashes started. "Nothing has changed," Bar said. "I haven't heard anyone say that the recent tensions have had a bearing on business deals. No one has called me to cancel any deal. I have at least 15 WhatsApp texts from contacts from various places in the Arab world who inquired if I was alright and that they hoped no rockets were falling near me." Some religious and academic influencers in the Emirates have said that the conflict is between Israelis and Palestinians, not Israelis and Arabs, a sentiment that reflects a tectonic intellectual shift. Ibrahim al-Assil, a Middle East analyst, said, "The Palestinians are getting much more global sympathy, but in the region itself, this trend is reversed. Many see it through the lens of their own conflicts with Iran and are concerned about how Iran will find a way to co-opt Palestinian grievances."
2021-06-10 00:00:00
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