News outlets in the Arab world have historically tended to ignore the Israeli media, but that appears to be changing as the process of rapprochement and steps toward normalization with the Gulf states have opened the door for Arab countries to more openly examine the Israeli viewpoint.
Such was the case this week when an op-ed published by Israel Hayom was covered by at least three prominent Arab newspapers.
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The op-ed by Middle East researcher Dr. Nirit Ofir, titled "Israel and the Gulf: Cautious optimism," was translated from Hebrew into Arabic by the London-based Al-Quds Al-Arabi, Saudi Arabia's Al Arabiya, and Bahrain-based Al Ayam.
In her piece, Ofir argues that despite the limited success of the US-sponsored economic summit in Bahrain, the process of normalization between Israel and the Gulf states is ongoing and directly linked to developments in those countries in the wake of the Arab spring.
Ofir writes that "plenty of senior Gulf officials see Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as an outstanding diplomat even if he is controversial, while the Palestinians are losing status, mostly because of the split in the PLO and the fact that the vast sums of money Gulf states have sent the Palestinian people are being wasted on illicit gifts for PA officials and terrorism."
