CIGA PUBLICATIONS / GEOPOLITICAL COMPASS

How Gulf States became business partners in Israel’s occupation

The Levant

Publication Dossier

GEOPOLITICAL COMPASS
Author(s)
Jonathan Cook
Publishers
Middle East Eye
Date / Place
December 14, 2020/UK
Type of Literature
Analysis 
Word Count / Number of Pages
2483
Keywords
Palestine, Abraham Accords, Gulf States, Israel

The Brief

The article provides detail how Israel profits from the normalization with Bahrain and UAE. Cook argues that the Abraham Accords' actual objective seems less about helping Palestinians; Israel started normalization with some significant Arab States without any concessions on the Palestinian issue. Instead, this accord facilitates regional intelligence between Israel and some of the Gulf States, especially on Iran; and the Gulf States will have access to Israeli hi-tech. Moreover, this normalization supports the Israeli occupation itself and its illegal settlements—it came in a time where Israel is intensifying its occupation. So, the peace deals keep the settlements established further, helping Israel in its annexing the West Bank in every aspect. Also, there will be cooperation between Bahrain, UAE, and Israel on checkpoint upgrades; this makes the Israeli occupation more permanent, which is a breach of international law. The Gulf States are involved in subsidizing these Israeli violations. Therefore, according to the author, the claim that the Abraham Fund’s checkpoint upgrade helps the Palestinians is patently ridiculous.