The announcement of the impending normalization of ties between Israel and the United Arab Emirates incurred the wrath of the Palestinians, but it also did not go over very well with the Israeli Arab sector, where many argued that the treaty was a "green light for continued occupation," saying it was a betrayal of the Palestinian struggle and the abandoning of the Palestinian people.
One can understand the logic in this claim, but one must also honestly ask: if the normalization of ties shelved – even temporarily – Israel's plan to extend sovereignty to parts of Judea and Samaria and the Jordan Valley – how is it a betrayal? And more importantly: Did the Arab world's decades-long policy of boycotting Israel do anything to end the occupation or advance the Palestinian cause?
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Local Arab leadership has made the Palestinian issue into a taboo and the consensus it evokes cannot be challenged in any way. For this reason, if you so much as dare to utter a different opinion you are immediately labeled a "traitor" to the cause.
Local Arab leadership and many in the Arab sector refuse to understand the fact that reality has changed. Arab leaders worldwide have not remained oblivious to global process and whether you like it or not, many in the Arab world no longer think as the Palestinian issue at the core of the regional conflict.
Moreover, millions of people in the Arab world are no longer willing to accept the fact that looking out for their own interests – even if it means changing policies on Israel – constitutes a betrayal.
The Palestinian criticism against the UAE is not surprising. Since 2014, when the Israeli-Palestinian peace process came to a screeching halt, the Palestinians have been trying to play all ends against the middle: Hamas in Gaza waging a military struggle against Israel, the Fatah in the West Bank is waging a diplomatic battle against Israel, and the Palestinian Authority also demands no Arab country pursue any type of rapprochement with Israel.
The UAE, like many other Arab countries, has come to realize that after 50 years of direct, indirect, open, and behind-the-scene negotiations they have the right to make up their own mind with respect to the Jewish state.
Were the Palestinians pragmatic, Ramallah and Gaza could have been celebrating 40 years of independence. But the myriad of preconditions presented to Israel and the Arab world both even before any talks had begun illustrates very clearly that the Palestinians never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity.
Arab Israelis should not miss the opportunity as well. They would be fools to turn their backs on normalization as the deal with the UAE, much like the 1994 peace deal with Jordan, has great opportunities to offer them.
If anything, Arab Israelis – having a profound understanding of the language, culture, and customs – should demand to be part of any delegation sent to the UAE, as well as positions in any future Israeli Embassy in Abu Dhabi. With a little creativity, this momentum could be leveraged to jumpstart the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
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