Arab world expresses cooperation, concern with new Israeli government
The Arab world responded to Israel’s new government with mixed expressions of confrontation, cooperation and concern.
Benjamin Netanyahu (L), now Prime Minister, at the Knesset, Nov. 15, 2022. Photo by Ehud Amiton/TPS
Abdullah Jenaid, a journalist and former political advisor based in Bahrain, told the Tazpit Press Service that “the threat of annexing the West Bank will terminate any future hope of peace, based on the two-state solutions and the Arab peace initiative.”
According to Jenaid, “any step that would make the Arab initiative irrelevant would be a real challenge to the peace agreements with the Gulf countries, but there are weighty interests between Israel and the Gulf.”
He insisted that “The countries in the Gulf will judge Israel by its actions and not by the composition of its members. There is hope that Netanyahu will be able to steer his government while preventing irreversible steps in the Palestinian cause.”
A senior official in the Palestinian Authority warned TPS, “Israel’s policy, for us, is the annexation of the PA’s territories and the indirect implementation of the “Plan of the Century” and therefore all options are open.”
The term “all options are open” implies — without openly advocating — violence, withdrawing from peace agreements, the dismantling of the Palestinian Authority, and other scenarios.
“Israel’s announcement contradicts international decisions. These are dangerous statements and will have consequences for the region,” he added.
Arab-Israeli leaders said that they would not rule out cooperation with the new government.
Activists in the Balad party’s institutions stressed, “There is reason to estimate that the next government will bring achievements on the economic and social level” for the Arab sector and were prepared to work with Netanyahu.”
On the other hand, Balad chairman and former member of the Knesset Sami Abu Shahada poured cold water on cooperation, saying, “Netanyahu’s extreme government is the result of years of deterioration in Jewish and Israeli society and support for the fascist right, and this is not a marginal minority.”
The more overt political response from outside Israel came from Jordan’s King Abdullah, who warned Israel’s incoming leadership not to change the status on Jerusalem’s Temple Mount.
“If there are people who want a confrontation, we are ready for it,” the king said. “I like to look at the glass half full, but we have red lines, and I believe that there are many people in Israel who are as concerned as we are, the exploitation of the holy places in Jerusalem for political purposes will bring things to a loss of control and an intifada that could lead to a complete collapse.”
Abdullah, who is working to strengthen Muslim influence on the Temple Mount, added, “If the new Israeli government changes the status quo and violates the authority of the Waqf, then Jordan is ready for a confrontation.” The king was referring to the Islamic Waqf, a religious trust funded by Jordan which administers the holy site.
Meanwhile, Saudi commentators say “relations with Israel are no longer taboo” and Arab reports indicate that the Saudi foreign minister told Jewish figures in the US that “normalisation already started years ago.”
However, the Saudi government has not yet responded to Netanyahu’s statement that peace with Saudi Arabia would lead to peace with the Palestinians. Netanyahu made the comments in a Dec. 15 interview with the Dubai-based Al Arabiya TV network.
Official Saudi Arabia is still committed to the Arab peace initiative which was first floated in 2002 as a basis for normalising relations with Israel. That proposal makes peace with the Palestinians a precondition for the Arab world to normalize relations with Israel.
But in the meantime, it seems that if a series of conditions related to Saudi-US relations are met, an Israeli-Saudi breakthrough remains possible.
In Egypt, analysts predict that pragmatism will continue to underscore Jerusalem-Cairo relations.
Hassan Abu Talib, a consultant for strategic studies, believes that all Israeli governments deal with Egypt pragmatically and see it as an important partner in the Palestinian cause.
“Egypt’s relationship with the results of the elections is related to the policy towards the Palestinians and therefore Egypt must expect the collapse of the Palestinian Authority and the two-state solution,” Talib said.
Here we are….the Temple Mount [and eventual Holy places not touched on] again.
Jordan’s King Abdullah did have the pope’s ears some time ago so we know who’s looking over who’s shoulder…… like it or not.
Funny how none of the Arabs quoted in this article have factored in the effect of the Hashemite Kingdom of Palestine solution that trashes the two-state solution and the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative.
Surprised also that Baruch Yedid seems to be unaware of the Hashemite Kingdom of Palestine solution that is probably being discussed right now as part of the US-brokered negotiations between Bibi and Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS).
These people are all living in the past. There is a new solution on the block that offers the best hope in 100 years of resolving the Arab-Jewish conflict. All people concerned with seeing an end to that conflict – not perpetuating it – should be wishing Bibi and MBS success in implementing the Hashemite Kingdom of Palestine solution.