On Thursday, Abu Dhabi's Group 42, Israel Aerospace Industries, and Rafael – the latter two Israeli government companies whose main focus is security and defense projects – announced a deal to cooperate on research and development to find solutions that can help defeat coronavirus. A week earlier, head of the Communications Department in Abu Dhabi issued a similar message about the Emirates cooperating with private Israeli companies for the same purpose.
In the past few months, ties between Israel and the UAE have grown much stronger. The Gulf Emirates sold Israel vital medical equipment when the first wave was at its peak, and two aircraft from Abu Dhabi flew into Ben-Gurion International Airport carrying medical aid for the Palestinians.
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The prevailing assessment is that the open steps the UAE has recently taken will lead to full bilateral normalization, even if Israel goes ahead with its plan to declare sovereignty in the Jordan Valley and settlements in Judea and Samaria under the Trump peace plan.
Although Israel and the oil Emirates do not currently have formal relations, in the past few years they have been taking steps toward each other. Saudi Arabia has dropped a major element of the Arab boycott of Israel and allowed aircraft flying to and from Israel to use its airspace. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu paid a public and photographed visit to Oman. Israeli government ministers and athletes have openly joined conferences and competitions in Gulf states. A year ago, Bahrain hosted businesspeople and journalists from Israel at an event to reveal the economic leg of the Trump plan. Israel's Foreign Ministry has opened an official mission in Abu Dhabi.
Aside from the contact between government officials, businesspeople, high-tech companies, and other sectors in Israel and the Gulf are in deep cooperation.
Prime Minister Netanyahu, who in recent years has been working to bring Israel and the Gulf states closer, recently reiterated that "The stronger we are, the more powerful we are, the more we deter our enemies and bring our friends closer."
Indeed, it appears as if the equation is a simple one – Iran poses a regional threat, so Sunni Arab states are drawing closer to Israel. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend," the old saying goes. In the eyes of Arab leaders, who are as disturbed by Iran's nuclear ambitions as we are, that is the role Israel plays. If there is anyone in the region capable of preventing Iran from nuclearization – the Arab kings and princes are saying to themselves – we should be on their side. It seems that this interests them much more than the possibility of an annexation.
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