A close read of the agreement between the United Arab Emirates and Israel suggests that the Jewish state has won far more than diplomatic recognition. It won acknowledgement of its claim to historic Jewish rights. By the same token, the UAE has received a significant boost to project itself as a leader in inter-faith dialogue.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and United Arab Emirates Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed walked away from this month’s White House signing ceremony with more than just an agreement to establish diplomatic relations.

Included in the agreement are references that are key to foundational Israeli arguments asserting the right of the Jewish people to a state on what was once predominantly Arab land rather than simple recognition of the fact that the Jewish state exists.

Recognition of Jewish rights has long been a demand put forward by Mr. Netanyahu.

In talks with the Palestinians as well as the building of relations with Arab states over the years, the Israeli leader asserted that mere diplomatic acceptance of Israel’s existence was not good enough. And yet, that was the basis of earlier peace treaties with Egypt and Jordan as well as Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Yasser Arafat’s 1988 recognition of Israel and the subsequent 1993 Oslo accords.

From the outset, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been as much a dispute about control of land as one of perceived rights.

Recognition of Jewish rights in Palestine bolsters Israeli assertions that its claims to territory occupied during the 1967 Middle East are legitimate rather than a land grab resulting from military conquest.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions-blogs/controversial-israeli-soccer-club-may-be-litmus-test-for-uae-soft-power-ploy-329150">Controversial Israeli soccer club may be litmus test for UAE soft power ploy</a>

To be clear, it does not by definition endorse annexation, but it constitutes Arab acceptance of Israel’s position that any compromise between Israelis and Palestinians, a sine qua non for a resolution of their dispute, would involve mediation of claims that are historically and morally on par.

Arabs in the past have projected solutions as the need to address Palestinian rights while accepting Israel’s existence.

The agreement did not explicitly recognize Jewish rights, but enabled Israel to interpret the deal as doing so by stating that “Arab and Jewish peoples are descendants of a common ancestor, Abraham.”

The text of the agreement suggests that the reference was primarily related to allow the UAE to boost its efforts to project itself as a leader of inter-faith dialogue and a moderate interpretation of Islam – a pillar of the country’s well-funded soft power campaign that paints the Emirates as a militarily capable, forward-looking, religiously tolerant and technologically savvy, cutting edge state.

The interpretation of the phrasing as recognition of Jewish rights may have been an unintended consequence or icing on Israel’s cake.

It was a bonus that David Makovsky of The Washington Institute for Near East Policy -- widely viewed as leaning towards Israel -- was quick to point out. Mr. Makovsky noted that the reference implied that “both (Arabs and Jews are) indigenous to the Middle East.”

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions-blogs/credit-where-it-is-due-trump-deserves-praise-for-west-asia-peace-deal-328186">Credit where it is due: Trump deserves praise for West Asia peace deal</a>

Mr. Makovsky suggested that the phrasing “is important because it clearly refutes longstanding allegations in the Arab world that Zionism is alien to the region.”

It puts past to Arab and Palestinian arguments that the long-touted two-state solution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was one of dividing up land claimed by two parties driven by facts on the ground rather than consideration of legal and moral claims.

This is not just of esoteric significance. It bolsters Israel’s long-standing rejection of Palestinian insistence on the right of refugees, including those who left during the 1948 war, to return to their homes and lands in what is now Israel.

Israel’s reading of the agreement as endorsement of its assertion that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is about equally valid rights is likely to be interpreted differently on both sides of Israel’s right-left divide.

The country’s weakened left will see it as highlighting the need for territorial compromise. Significant segments of the Israeli right will view it as validation of its belief dating back to the period prior to the 1948 creation of Israel that the clash of Jewish and Palestinian rights is irreconcilable. That is a view that has historically also resonated among elements of the labor movement.

That may be what makes the UAE-Israel deal truly historic.

The icing on the UAE’s cake, beyond the significant geopolitical, military, security, technological and economic benefits of the agreement, is the stress on inter-faith dialogue.

Under the agreement, the UAE and Israel “undertake to foster mutual understanding, respect, co-existence, and a culture of peace between their societies in the spirit of their common ancestor, Abraham, and the new era of peace and friendly relations ushered in by this Treaty, including by cultivating people-to-people programs, (and) interfaith dialogue…”

The UAE, like Saudi Arabia, one of its multiple autocratic religious soft power rivals, has gone in recent years to great lengths to cultivate ties to Jewish and Evangelist communities and to position itself as a sponsor of an inter-faith dialogue in which Islam is represented by Muslim scholars who preach absolute obedience to the ruler and reject endorsement of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Its an interpretation of the faith intended to ensure regime survival and counter-allegations of violations of human rights in the UAE.

The signing of a Document on Human Fraternity by the imam of the Al-Azhar Grand Mosque in Cairo, Ahmed El-Tayeb, and Pope Francis I during his 2019 visit to the UAE, the first by a head of the Vatican to the Gulf, served to offer an alternative to the Universal Declaration that allows the Emirates to pick and choose which rights it accepts.

The emphasis on inter-faith dialogue is bolstered and conditioned by the agreement’s implicit condemnation of political Islam, a key driver of UAE policy that is shared by Israel.

The agreement rejects “political manipulation of religions and…interpretations made by religious groups who, in the course of history, have taken advantage of the power of religious sentiment…in a way that has nothing to do with the truth of religion.”

Omar Ghobash, UAE Assistant Minister for Culture and Public Diplomacy, speaking in a US-UAE Council webinar, noted that one driver for the conclusion of the agreement was “what happened around the so-called Arab Spring and then the rise of vicious groups like ISIS, let alone Al Qaeda.”

Mr. Ghobash was referring to the 2011 popular Arab revolts that toppled the autocratic leaders of Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, and Yemen as well as the rise of the Islamic State in the aftermath of the uprisings, which was a product of the 2003 US invasion of Iraq rather than the rebellions.

He projected the agreement as part of the UAE’s institutionalization of its values.

“There is a distortion that has taken place over the last few decades…represented by groups like the Muslim Brotherhood, groups like Al Qaeda and ISIS … There is a recurring theme in conversations with my leaders and that is that Islam has been hijacked by these groups. The reality is that in taking Islam back, you need to free it from those constraints. You free it by presenting a different expression of Islam,” Mr. Ghobash said.

Critics suggest that the agreement’s formalization of Israeli support for the UAE’s propagation of a state-controlled Islam fails to tackle a core issue: the need to address religious concepts that are either outdated or outmoded or require reconceptualization and reinterpretation.

Those concepts legitimized decades of Muslim demonization of Israel as well as Jews, Christians, and other non-Muslims.

The UAE took a first major step to address the issue by distributing to schools barely two weeks after the announcement of the establishment of diplomatic relations textbooks that cite the agreement with Israel as an expression of fundamental Islamic and Emirati values.

However, the ultimate litmus test of the UAE’s effort to shape moderate Islam will be if and when it loosens the state’s grip on religion and allows for free-flowing, credible theological debate in which scholars tackle problematic religious concepts that have served their purpose but are out of place in a modern, forward-looking society.

(Dr James M Dorsey is an award-winning journalist and a senior fellow at Nanyang Technological University’s S Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore. He is also a senior research fellow at the National University of Singapore’s Middle East Institute and co-director of the University of Wuerzburg’s Institute of Fan Culture.)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

A close read of the agreement between the United Arab Emirates and Israel suggests that the Jewish state has won far more than diplomatic recognition. It won acknowledgement of its claim to historic Jewish rights.

A close read of the agreement between the United Arab Emirates and Israel suggests that the Jewish state has won far more than diplomatic recognition. It won acknowledgement of its claim to historic Jewish rights. By the same token, the UAE has received a significant boost to project itself as a leader in inter-faith dialogue. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and United Arab Emirates Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed walked away from this month’s White House signing ceremony with more than just an agreement to establish diplomatic relations. Included in the agreement are references that are key to foundational Israeli arguments asserting the right of the Jewish people to a state on what was once predominantly Arab land rather than simple recognition of the fact that the Jewish state exists. Recognition of Jewish rights has long been a demand put forward by Mr. Netanyahu. In talks with the Palestinians as well as the building of relations with Arab states over the years, the Israeli leader asserted that mere diplomatic acceptance of Israel’s existence was not good enough. And yet, that was the basis of earlier peace treaties with Egypt and Jordan as well as Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Yasser Arafat’s 1988 recognition of Israel and the subsequent 1993 Oslo accords. From the outset, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been as much a dispute about control of land as one of perceived rights. Recognition of Jewish rights in Palestine bolsters Israeli assertions that its claims to territory occupied during the 1967 Middle East are legitimate rather than a land grab resulting from military conquest. Also Read | Controversial Israeli soccer club may be litmus test for UAE soft power ploy To be clear, it does not by definition endorse annexation, but it constitutes Arab acceptance of Israel’s position that any compromise between Israelis and Palestinians, a sine qua non for a resolution of their dispute, would involve mediation of claims that are historically and morally on par. Arabs in the past have projected solutions as the need to address Palestinian rights while accepting Israel’s existence. The agreement did not explicitly recognize Jewish rights, but enabled Israel to interpret the deal as doing so by stating that “Arab and Jewish peoples are descendants of a common ancestor, Abraham.” The text of the agreement suggests that the reference was primarily related to allow the UAE to boost its efforts to project itself as a leader of inter-faith dialogue and a moderate interpretation of Islam – a pillar of the country’s well-funded soft power campaign that paints the Emirates as a militarily capable, forward-looking, religiously tolerant and technologically savvy, cutting edge state. The interpretation of the phrasing as recognition of Jewish rights may have been an unintended consequence or icing on Israel’s cake. It was a bonus that David Makovsky of The Washington Institute for Near East Policy -- widely viewed as leaning towards Israel -- was quick to point out. Mr. Makovsky noted that the reference implied that “both (Arabs and Jews are) indigenous to the Middle East.” Also Read | Credit where it is due: Trump deserves praise for West Asia peace deal Mr. Makovsky suggested that the phrasing “is important because it clearly refutes longstanding allegations in the Arab world that Zionism is alien to the region.” It puts past to Arab and Palestinian arguments that the long-touted two-state solution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was one of dividing up land claimed by two parties driven by facts on the ground rather than consideration of legal and moral claims. This is not just of esoteric significance. It bolsters Israel’s long-standing rejection of Palestinian insistence on the right of refugees, including those who left during the 1948 war, to return to their homes and lands in what is now Israel. Israel’s reading of the agreement as endorsement of its assertion that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is about equally valid rights is likely to be interpreted differently on both sides of Israel’s right-left divide. The country’s weakened left will see it as highlighting the need for territorial compromise. Significant segments of the Israeli right will view it as validation of its belief dating back to the period prior to the 1948 creation of Israel that the clash of Jewish and Palestinian rights is irreconcilable. That is a view that has historically also resonated among elements of the labor movement. That may be what makes the UAE-Israel deal truly historic. The icing on the UAE’s cake, beyond the significant geopolitical, military, security, technological and economic benefits of the agreement, is the stress on inter-faith dialogue. Under the agreement, the UAE and Israel “undertake to foster mutual understanding, respect, co-existence, and a culture of peace between their societies in the spirit of their common ancestor, Abraham, and the new era of peace and friendly relations ushered in by this Treaty, including by cultivating people-to-people programs, (and) interfaith dialogue…” The UAE, like Saudi Arabia, one of its multiple autocratic religious soft power rivals, has gone in recent years to great lengths to cultivate ties to Jewish and Evangelist communities and to position itself as a sponsor of an inter-faith dialogue in which Islam is represented by Muslim scholars who preach absolute obedience to the ruler and reject endorsement of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Its an interpretation of the faith intended to ensure regime survival and counter-allegations of violations of human rights in the UAE. The signing of a Document on Human Fraternity by the imam of the Al-Azhar Grand Mosque in Cairo, Ahmed El-Tayeb, and Pope Francis I during his 2019 visit to the UAE, the first by a head of the Vatican to the Gulf, served to offer an alternative to the Universal Declaration that allows the Emirates to pick and choose which rights it accepts. The emphasis on inter-faith dialogue is bolstered and conditioned by the agreement’s implicit condemnation of political Islam, a key driver of UAE policy that is shared by Israel. The agreement rejects “political manipulation of religions and…interpretations made by religious groups who, in the course of history, have taken advantage of the power of religious sentiment…in a way that has nothing to do with the truth of religion.” Omar Ghobash, UAE Assistant Minister for Culture and Public Diplomacy, speaking in a US-UAE Council webinar, noted that one driver for the conclusion of the agreement was “what happened around the so-called Arab Spring and then the rise of vicious groups like ISIS, let alone Al Qaeda.” Mr. Ghobash was referring to the 2011 popular Arab revolts that toppled the autocratic leaders of Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, and Yemen as well as the rise of the Islamic State in the aftermath of the uprisings, which was a product of the 2003 US invasion of Iraq rather than the rebellions. He projected the agreement as part of the UAE’s institutionalization of its values. “There is a distortion that has taken place over the last few decades…represented by groups like the Muslim Brotherhood, groups like Al Qaeda and ISIS … There is a recurring theme in conversations with my leaders and that is that Islam has been hijacked by these groups. The reality is that in taking Islam back, you need to free it from those constraints. You free it by presenting a different expression of Islam,” Mr. Ghobash said. Critics suggest that the agreement’s formalization of Israeli support for the UAE’s propagation of a state-controlled Islam fails to tackle a core issue: the need to address religious concepts that are either outdated or outmoded or require reconceptualization and reinterpretation. Those concepts legitimized decades of Muslim demonization of Israel as well as Jews, Christians, and other non-Muslims. The UAE took a first major step to address the issue by distributing to schools barely two weeks after the announcement of the establishment of diplomatic relations textbooks that cite the agreement with Israel as an expression of fundamental Islamic and Emirati values. However, the ultimate litmus test of the UAE’s effort to shape moderate Islam will be if and when it loosens the state’s grip on religion and allows for free-flowing, credible theological debate in which scholars tackle problematic religious concepts that have served their purpose but are out of place in a modern, forward-looking society. (Dr James M Dorsey is an award-winning journalist and a senior fellow at Nanyang Technological University’s S Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore. He is also a senior research fellow at the National University of Singapore’s Middle East Institute and co-director of the University of Wuerzburg’s Institute of Fan Culture.) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

The UAE-Israel deal’s historicity is in the fine print

Palestinian militants fired rockets from Gaza into Israel on Tuesday, the Israeli military said, at same time as Israel and two Gulf Arab states signed normalisation agreements at the White House in Washington.

Palestinians fire rockets into Israel during signing of normalisation agreements

US President Donald Trump, UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani, the foreign minister of Bahrain, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed the Abraham Accord

A strategic realignment of West Asian countries | Historic Abraham accord signed

The President pointed out that these were the only two peace deals between Israel and the Arab States in more than a quarter of a century.

US President Donald Trump promises to protect Palestine

After almost 25 years, the 45th president of the united states has recreated history at the south lawn of the white house. UAE & Bahrain sign a historic peace deal with Israel.

Israel, UAE and Bahrain sign Abraham accord

The United Arab Emirates’ bold recognition of Israel, earning it valuable brownie points in the West, has come at a cost: a blow to its efforts to earn religious soft power in the Muslim world.

The setback raises questions about the UAE’s strategy of co-opting prominent Muslim scholars with financial incentives to project the Gulf state as a model of tolerance that seeks to promote a moderate interpretation of Islam in a global competition for religious soft power with Qatar, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia.

The UAE attempt to reap religious support for its opening to Israel encountered blowback when a statement by the Abu Dhabi-based Forum for Promoting Peace in Muslim Societies — one of several UAE-backed groups created to counter similar Qatari institutions and give the UAE effort religious cachet — sparked protests and resignations.

Members of the Forum’s board complained that the statement had been issued without a discussion in the Forum’s board of trustees. The board includes former Jordanian Islamic chief justice and minister of endowments Ahmad Hilayel and Abdullah Al-Maatouq, a Kuwaiti royal court advisor and former religious affairs minister and United Nations envoy.

Hamza Yusuf, the Forum’s vice president and a popular American Islamic scholar who heads Zaytuna College — the United States’ first accredited Muslim undergraduate college — distanced himself from the statement, asserting that he did “not engage in or endorse geopolitical strategies or treaties” and that his “allegiance is and has always been with the oppressed peoples of Palestine, whether Muslim, Christian or otherwise.”

Similarly, while announcing her resignation from the Forum’s board, prominent American Muslim activist Aisha al-Adawiya, founder of the human rights group Women in Islam, said that there had been “no agreement on any kind of support for the UAE’s deal with Israel.”

So did Muhammad Hussein, the grand mufti of Jerusalem. Mr Hussein banned Muslims from the UAE from visiting and praying at Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam’s third holiest site.

However, the statement issued by Abdullah Bin Bayyah, a Mauritanian politician, religious scholar, and the head of the Forum and president of the Emirati Fatwa Council, took a different tone.

Praising “the wisdom of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces,” the statement asserted that normalization of relations with the Jewish state had “stopped Israel from extending its sovereignty over Palestinian lands” and as a means to “promote peace and stability across the world.”

Mr Bin Bayyah’s defence of the statement reflected the UAE’s definition of moderate Islam as one that is state-controlled and preaches absolute obedience to the ruler. He insisted that “international relations and treaties are among the initiatives that fall within the policy-making purview of the ruler.”

Despite longstanding relations with Abu Dhabi’s ruling Al-Nahyan family, Mr Bin Bayyah was long aligned with their nemesis as vice president of the International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS) and the European Council for Fatwa and Research, that was established to provide guidance to European Muslims through the dissemination of religious opinions.

The two groups were headed and founded by Qatar-based Yusuf al-Qaradawi, one of the world’s most prominent living Islamic scholars who is widely viewed as a spiritual guide of the Muslim Brotherhood.

Qatari support of the Brotherhood is the main driver of the more than three-year-old UAE-Saudi-led diplomatic and economic boycott of the Gulf state. The Emirates and the kingdom earlier designated the Brotherhood as a terrorist organization.

Members of the Abu Dhabi ruling family, including Crown Prince Mohammed and his foreign minister, Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, began courting Mr Bin Bayyah in early 2013.

They invited the cleric to the Emirates the same month that Egyptian President and Muslim Brother Mohammed Morsi – the post-2011 revolt democratically elected head of state -- was toppled by a UAE-backed military coup.

In a letter Mr Bin Bayyah sent three months later to the IUMS, he announced that he was resigning from the group. He wrote: “the humble role I am attempting to undertake towards reform and reconciliation (among Muslims) requires a discourse that does not sit well with my position at the International Union of Muslim Scholars.”

Mr Bin Bayyah wrote his letter after the IUMS had bitterly denounced the Egyptian coup and condemned the subsequent brutal repression of the Brotherhood and he published it to demonstrate to Emirati leaders that he had ended his association with Qatari-supported Islamic groups.

The courting of Mr Bin Bayyah emanated from Prince Mohammed’s realisation that he needed religious soft power to justify the UAE’s wielding of hard power that started with the Egyptian coup and expanded with military interventions in Yemen and Libya.

The emergence in recent years of Mr Bin Bayyah – a celebrated Islamic jurist whom Islam scholar Usamaa Al-Azami dubbed “counter‐revolutionary Islam’s most important scholar” – as the religious face of the UAE coincided with the 93-year-old Mr Qaradawi’s withdrawal from public life.

The backlash sparked by Mr Bin Bayyah’s statement highlights the Achilles heel, at least in the Muslim world, of the UAE’s religious soft power ploy.

“The counter‐revolutionary Islamic political thought that is being developed and promoted by Bin Bayyah and the UAE suffers from certain fundamental structural problems that mean its very existence is precariously predicated on the persistence of autocratic patronage,” Mr Al-Azami asserted.&nbsp;

“Its lack of independence means that it is not the organic product of a relatively unencumbered engagement with political modernity that might be possible in freer societies than counter‐revolutionary Gulf autocracies,” he added.

Mr Al Azami’s criticism goes to the heart of the debate, particularly in Turkey and Indonesia, on Islam’s ability to recontextualize itself and break away from the shackles of outdated concepts and traditions without being freed from control by states that seek to impose a self-serving vision of the faith.

Expressed more bluntly, Yahya Birt, a scholar of British Islam and a convert to the faith, who has researched UAE-backed clerics, argued that there is a discrepancy between how they project their sponsors abroad and the reality on the ground.

“The extracted price of government patronage is high for ulema (religious scholars) in the Middle East. Generally speaking, they have to openly support or maintain silence about autocracy at home, while speaking of democracy, pluralism, and minority rights to Western audiences,” Mr Birt said.

The backlash to the support of the UAE recognition of Israel by the Forum and Mr. Bin Bayyah suggests a serious flaw in the Gulf state’s approach to religious soft power: It targets first and foremost Western corridors of power rather than the Muslim community at large.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

The United Arab Emirates’ bold recognition of Israel, earning it valuable brownie points in the West, has come at a cost: a blow to its efforts to earn religious soft power in the Muslim world.

The United Arab Emirates’ bold recognition of Israel, earning it valuable brownie points in the West, has come at a cost: a blow to its efforts to earn religious soft power in the Muslim world. The setback raises questions about the UAE’s strategy of co-opting prominent Muslim scholars with financial incentives to project the Gulf state as a model of tolerance that seeks to promote a moderate interpretation of Islam in a global competition for religious soft power with Qatar, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia. The UAE attempt to reap religious support for its opening to Israel encountered blowback when a statement by the Abu Dhabi-based Forum for Promoting Peace in Muslim Societies — one of several UAE-backed groups created to counter similar Qatari institutions and give the UAE effort religious cachet — sparked protests and resignations. Members of the Forum’s board complained that the statement had been issued without a discussion in the Forum’s board of trustees. The board includes former Jordanian Islamic chief justice and minister of endowments Ahmad Hilayel and Abdullah Al-Maatouq, a Kuwaiti royal court advisor and former religious affairs minister and United Nations envoy. Hamza Yusuf, the Forum’s vice president and a popular American Islamic scholar who heads Zaytuna College — the United States’ first accredited Muslim undergraduate college — distanced himself from the statement, asserting that he did “not engage in or endorse geopolitical strategies or treaties” and that his “allegiance is and has always been with the oppressed peoples of Palestine, whether Muslim, Christian or otherwise.” Similarly, while announcing her resignation from the Forum’s board, prominent American Muslim activist Aisha al-Adawiya, founder of the human rights group Women in Islam, said that there had been “no agreement on any kind of support for the UAE’s deal with Israel.” So did Muhammad Hussein, the grand mufti of Jerusalem. Mr Hussein banned Muslims from the UAE from visiting and praying at Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam’s third holiest site. However, the statement issued by Abdullah Bin Bayyah, a Mauritanian politician, religious scholar, and the head of the Forum and president of the Emirati Fatwa Council, took a different tone. Praising “the wisdom of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces,” the statement asserted that normalization of relations with the Jewish state had “stopped Israel from extending its sovereignty over Palestinian lands” and as a means to “promote peace and stability across the world.” Mr Bin Bayyah’s defence of the statement reflected the UAE’s definition of moderate Islam as one that is state-controlled and preaches absolute obedience to the ruler. He insisted that “international relations and treaties are among the initiatives that fall within the policy-making purview of the ruler.” Despite longstanding relations with Abu Dhabi’s ruling Al-Nahyan family, Mr Bin Bayyah was long aligned with their nemesis as vice president of the International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS) and the European Council for Fatwa and Research, that was established to provide guidance to European Muslims through the dissemination of religious opinions. The two groups were headed and founded by Qatar-based Yusuf al-Qaradawi, one of the world’s most prominent living Islamic scholars who is widely viewed as a spiritual guide of the Muslim Brotherhood. Qatari support of the Brotherhood is the main driver of the more than three-year-old UAE-Saudi-led diplomatic and economic boycott of the Gulf state. The Emirates and the kingdom earlier designated the Brotherhood as a terrorist organization. Members of the Abu Dhabi ruling family, including Crown Prince Mohammed and his foreign minister, Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, began courting Mr Bin Bayyah in early 2013. They invited the cleric to the Emirates the same month that Egyptian President and Muslim Brother Mohammed Morsi – the post-2011 revolt democratically elected head of state -- was toppled by a UAE-backed military coup. In a letter Mr Bin Bayyah sent three months later to the IUMS, he announced that he was resigning from the group. He wrote: “the humble role I am attempting to undertake towards reform and reconciliation (among Muslims) requires a discourse that does not sit well with my position at the International Union of Muslim Scholars.” Mr Bin Bayyah wrote his letter after the IUMS had bitterly denounced the Egyptian coup and condemned the subsequent brutal repression of the Brotherhood and he published it to demonstrate to Emirati leaders that he had ended his association with Qatari-supported Islamic groups. The courting of Mr Bin Bayyah emanated from Prince Mohammed’s realisation that he needed religious soft power to justify the UAE’s wielding of hard power that started with the Egyptian coup and expanded with military interventions in Yemen and Libya. The emergence in recent years of Mr Bin Bayyah – a celebrated Islamic jurist whom Islam scholar Usamaa Al-Azami dubbed “counter‐revolutionary Islam’s most important scholar” – as the religious face of the UAE coincided with the 93-year-old Mr Qaradawi’s withdrawal from public life. The backlash sparked by Mr Bin Bayyah’s statement highlights the Achilles heel, at least in the Muslim world, of the UAE’s religious soft power ploy. “The counter‐revolutionary Islamic political thought that is being developed and promoted by Bin Bayyah and the UAE suffers from certain fundamental structural problems that mean its very existence is precariously predicated on the persistence of autocratic patronage,” Mr Al-Azami asserted. “Its lack of independence means that it is not the organic product of a relatively unencumbered engagement with political modernity that might be possible in freer societies than counter‐revolutionary Gulf autocracies,” he added. Mr Al Azami’s criticism goes to the heart of the debate, particularly in Turkey and Indonesia, on Islam’s ability to recontextualize itself and break away from the shackles of outdated concepts and traditions without being freed from control by states that seek to impose a self-serving vision of the faith. Expressed more bluntly, Yahya Birt, a scholar of British Islam and a convert to the faith, who has researched UAE-backed clerics, argued that there is a discrepancy between how they project their sponsors abroad and the reality on the ground. “The extracted price of government patronage is high for ulema (religious scholars) in the Middle East. Generally speaking, they have to openly support or maintain silence about autocracy at home, while speaking of democracy, pluralism, and minority rights to Western audiences,” Mr Birt said. The backlash to the support of the UAE recognition of Israel by the Forum and Mr. Bin Bayyah suggests a serious flaw in the Gulf state’s approach to religious soft power: It targets first and foremost Western corridors of power rather than the Muslim community at large. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

UAE recognition of Israel dents Emirati religious soft power

Palestinians in Gaza burnt pictures of Israeli, U.S., Bahraini and United Arab Emirates leaders on Saturday in protest over the two Gulf countries` moves to normalize ties with Israel.

Bahrain on Friday joined the UAE in agreeing to normalize relations with Israel, a move forged partly through shared fears of Iran but one that could leave the Palestinians further isolated.

The Gaza protest, attended by a few dozen, was organized by the ruling Islamist group Hamas.

"We have to fight the virus of normalization and block all its paths before it succeeds, to prevent it from spreading," said Hamas official Maher al-Holy.

Demonstrators set fire to pictures of U.S. President Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Bahrain`s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and the UAE`s Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nayhan.

While the United States, Israel, the UAE and Bahrain hail the diplomatic moves as a major step toward Middle East peace and stability, the Palestinians see it as a betrayal.

They fear a weakening of a longstanding pan-Arab position that calls for Israeli withdrawal from occupied territory and acceptance of Palestinian statehood in return for normal relations with Arab countries.

Despite a deep political rift going back to 2007, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, whose Palestinian Authority has limited rule in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, and his Hamas rivals have been united against the Gulf states` move.

In the West Bank, the Secretary General of the Palestine Liberation Organization, Saeb Erekat, said the diplomatic push will not achieve peace if the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict is not resolved first.

"The Bahraini, Israeli, American agreement to normalize relations is now part of a bigger package in the region, it isn`t about peace, it is not about relations between countries. We are witnessing an alliance, a military alliance being created in the region," Erekat told Reuters.

Iran meanwhile said on Saturday that Bahrain`s move meant it would be complicit in Israeli policies that threatened regional security, Iranian state TV reported.

Palestinians in Gaza burnt pictures of Israeli, U.S., Bahraini and United Arab Emirates leaders on Saturday in protest over the two Gulf countries` moves to normalize ties with Israel.

Palestinians in Gaza burnt pictures of Israeli, U.S., Bahraini and United Arab Emirates leaders on Saturday in protest over the two Gulf countries` moves to normalize ties with Israel. Bahrain on Friday joined the UAE in agreeing to normalize relations with Israel, a move forged partly through shared fears of Iran but one that could leave the Palestinians further isolated. The Gaza protest, attended by a few dozen, was organized by the ruling Islamist group Hamas. "We have to fight the virus of normalization and block all its paths before it succeeds, to prevent it from spreading," said Hamas official Maher al-Holy. Demonstrators set fire to pictures of U.S. President Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Bahrain`s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and the UAE`s Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nayhan. While the United States, Israel, the UAE and Bahrain hail the diplomatic moves as a major step toward Middle East peace and stability, the Palestinians see it as a betrayal. They fear a weakening of a longstanding pan-Arab position that calls for Israeli withdrawal from occupied territory and acceptance of Palestinian statehood in return for normal relations with Arab countries. Despite a deep political rift going back to 2007, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, whose Palestinian Authority has limited rule in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, and his Hamas rivals have been united against the Gulf states` move. In the West Bank, the Secretary General of the Palestine Liberation Organization, Saeb Erekat, said the diplomatic push will not achieve peace if the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict is not resolved first. "The Bahraini, Israeli, American agreement to normalize relations is now part of a bigger package in the region, it isn`t about peace, it is not about relations between countries. We are witnessing an alliance, a military alliance being created in the region," Erekat told Reuters. Iran meanwhile said on Saturday that Bahrain`s move meant it would be complicit in Israeli policies that threatened regional security, Iranian state TV reported.

Palestinians rally against Bahrain-Israel normalisation

Foreign ministers of nations in the Arab league failed to reach agreement on a draft resolution condemning last month's normalisation deal between the United Arab Emirates and Israel.

The Arab League said late Wednesday that "the meeting saw a serious and comprehensive discussion but no consensus was reached on the resolution proposed by the Palestinian delegation."

No replacement resolution was adopted by ministers during their Wednesday videoconference. The Palestinian side preferred not to release a draft resolution without including the concepts it was putting forward.

Palestinian foreign minister Riyad al-Malki had urged fellow ministers to take "a position that rejects this step (normalisation), otherwise our meeting will be considered a blessing or collusion with it, or a cover for it and this will not be accepted by the State of Palestine".

The UAE's normalisation of relations with Israel, which has already seen the opening of phone and air links, broke with years of Arab League policy on the Middle East conflict and was condemned by the Palestinians as a "betrayal".

In 2002, the 22-member bloc adopted a Saudi-proposed peace plan, renewed as recently as 2017.

It offered normalisation only in return for a full Israeli withdrawal from the territories it occupied in the Six-Day War of 1967, a Palestinian state with east Jerusalem as its capital and a just solution for Palestinian refugees and their descendants, who now number more than five million, according to the United Nations.

The Arab plan has been pushed aside by the Trump administration, which after several delays unveiled a controversial peace blueprint of its own in January.

It promised US blessing for Israel's eventual annexation of swathes of the occupied West Bank, including the strategic Jordan Valley and all Jewish settlements.

The UAE government hailed a clause in its US-brokered normalisation deal that appeared to put any Israeli annexations on hold.

But Israel retorted that any delay would be short-lived and that its annexation plans remained on the table.

Trump will host a signing ceremony for the agreement on September 15.

The UAE will be only the third Arab country to sign a deal with Israel after Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994. 
&nbsp;

Foreign ministers of nations in the Arab league failed to reach agreement on a draft resolution condemning last month's normalisation deal between the United Arab Emirates and Israel.

Foreign ministers of nations in the Arab league failed to reach agreement on a draft resolution condemning last month's normalisation deal between the United Arab Emirates and Israel. The Arab League said late Wednesday that "the meeting saw a serious and comprehensive discussion but no consensus was reached on the resolution proposed by the Palestinian delegation." No replacement resolution was adopted by ministers during their Wednesday videoconference. The Palestinian side preferred not to release a draft resolution without including the concepts it was putting forward. Palestinian foreign minister Riyad al-Malki had urged fellow ministers to take "a position that rejects this step (normalisation), otherwise our meeting will be considered a blessing or collusion with it, or a cover for it and this will not be accepted by the State of Palestine". The UAE's normalisation of relations with Israel, which has already seen the opening of phone and air links, broke with years of Arab League policy on the Middle East conflict and was condemned by the Palestinians as a "betrayal". In 2002, the 22-member bloc adopted a Saudi-proposed peace plan, renewed as recently as 2017. It offered normalisation only in return for a full Israeli withdrawal from the territories it occupied in the Six-Day War of 1967, a Palestinian state with east Jerusalem as its capital and a just solution for Palestinian refugees and their descendants, who now number more than five million, according to the United Nations. The Arab plan has been pushed aside by the Trump administration, which after several delays unveiled a controversial peace blueprint of its own in January. It promised US blessing for Israel's eventual annexation of swathes of the occupied West Bank, including the strategic Jordan Valley and all Jewish settlements. The UAE government hailed a clause in its US-brokered normalisation deal that appeared to put any Israeli annexations on hold. But Israel retorted that any delay would be short-lived and that its annexation plans remained on the table. Trump will host a signing ceremony for the agreement on September 15. The UAE will be only the third Arab country to sign a deal with Israel after Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994.

Deadlock in Arab League over UAE-Israel deal continues

Top aides to US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fly to the United Arab Emirates on Monday to put the final touches on a pact establishing open relations between the Gulf power and Israel.

Even before discussions start in Abu Dhabi, the delegates will have made aviation history by taking an Israeli commercial airliner - the word "peace" printed in Arabic, English and Hebrew above a cockpit window of the El Al Boeing 737 - directly from Tel Aviv to the UAE capital over Saudi territory.

"That's what peace for peace looks like," Netanyahu tweeted, hailing what he termed a historic flight and describing a deal for formal ties with an Arab state that does not entail handover of land that Israel captured in a 1967 war.

Announced on August&nbsp;13, the 'normalisation' deal is the first such accommodation between an Arab country and Israel in more than 20 years and was catalysed largely by shared fears of Iran.

Palestinians were dismayed by the UAE's move, worried that it would weaken a long-standing pan-Arab position that called for Israeli withdrawal from occupied territory - and acceptance of Palestinian statehood - in return for normal relations with Arab countries.

Trump's senior adviser and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and national security adviser Robert O'Brien head the US delegation. The Israeli team is led by O'Brien's counterpart, Meir Ben-Shabbat. Officials will explore bilateral cooperation in areas such as commerce and tourism, and Israeli defence envoys are due to visit the UAE separately.

Israeli officials hope the two-day trip will produce a date for a Washington signing ceremony, perhaps as early as September, between Netanyahu and Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan.

That could give Trump a foreign policy boost ahead of his re-election bid in November. In Jerusalem on Sunday, Kushner said the deal was a “giant step forward.”

The Trump administration has tried to coax other Sunni Arab countries concerned about Iran to engage with Israel. The most powerful of those, Saudi Arabia, has signalled it is not ready.

But in what could presage a more relaxed posture by Riyadh, the El Al plane on Monday will be allowed to overfly Saudi territory to cut flight time.

In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Hanan Ashrawi, a member of the Palestine Liberation Organisation's executive committee, said Kushner and his team were "scrambling to convince as many Arab and Muslim leaders as possible" to give Trump an election boost.

"They will be a prop at the backdrop of a meaningless spectacle for a ridiculous agreement that will not bring peace to the region," she said. 
&nbsp;

Top aides to US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fly to the United Arab Emirates on Monday to put the final touches on a pact establishing open relations between the Gulf power and Israel.

Top aides to US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fly to the United Arab Emirates on Monday to put the final touches on a pact establishing open relations between the Gulf power and Israel. Even before discussions start in Abu Dhabi, the delegates will have made aviation history by taking an Israeli commercial airliner - the word "peace" printed in Arabic, English and Hebrew above a cockpit window of the El Al Boeing 737 - directly from Tel Aviv to the UAE capital over Saudi territory. "That's what peace for peace looks like," Netanyahu tweeted, hailing what he termed a historic flight and describing a deal for formal ties with an Arab state that does not entail handover of land that Israel captured in a 1967 war. Announced on August 13, the 'normalisation' deal is the first such accommodation between an Arab country and Israel in more than 20 years and was catalysed largely by shared fears of Iran. Palestinians were dismayed by the UAE's move, worried that it would weaken a long-standing pan-Arab position that called for Israeli withdrawal from occupied territory - and acceptance of Palestinian statehood - in return for normal relations with Arab countries. Trump's senior adviser and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and national security adviser Robert O'Brien head the US delegation. The Israeli team is led by O'Brien's counterpart, Meir Ben-Shabbat. Officials will explore bilateral cooperation in areas such as commerce and tourism, and Israeli defence envoys are due to visit the UAE separately. Israeli officials hope the two-day trip will produce a date for a Washington signing ceremony, perhaps as early as September, between Netanyahu and Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan. That could give Trump a foreign policy boost ahead of his re-election bid in November. In Jerusalem on Sunday, Kushner said the deal was a “giant step forward.” The Trump administration has tried to coax other Sunni Arab countries concerned about Iran to engage with Israel. The most powerful of those, Saudi Arabia, has signalled it is not ready. But in what could presage a more relaxed posture by Riyadh, the El Al plane on Monday will be allowed to overfly Saudi territory to cut flight time. In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Hanan Ashrawi, a member of the Palestine Liberation Organisation's executive committee, said Kushner and his team were "scrambling to convince as many Arab and Muslim leaders as possible" to give Trump an election boost. "They will be a prop at the backdrop of a meaningless spectacle for a ridiculous agreement that will not bring peace to the region," she said.

Israeli and US officials to fly to UAE to cement 'normalisation' deal

The skies above the Middle East appear poised to host one of the world's most advanced aircraft.&nbsp;The F-35 fighter jets are said to be the most dominant aircraft ever built.&nbsp;

With a speed of Mach 1.6, these jets have the capability of jamming radars and disrupting attacks.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/they-would-like-to-buy-f-35s-after-peace-accord-with-israel-trump-puts-fighter-jets-under-review-for-uae-321934">'They would like to buy F-35s': After peace accord with Israel, Trump puts fighter jets 'under review' for UAE</a>

The Trump administration is considering the sale of F-35 to the UAE, Washington's reward to the Kingdom for normalising relations with Israel.&nbsp;

"So, yeah, they'd (UAE) like to buy F-35s. We'll see what happens. It's under review," US President Donald Trump said.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/peace-must-be-achieved-with-palestinians-then-all-things-possible-saudi-arabia-on-israel-321749">Peace must be achieved with Palestinians, then all things possible: Saudi Arabia on Israel</a>

The deal is "under review" for now but has triggered a diplomatic row already.&nbsp;Israeli media first reported the&nbsp;story and the developments so far indicate&nbsp;that Israel is not happy.&nbsp;

They has&nbsp;called it a "secret clause" which was part of the diplomatic agreement between Israel and the Emirates."&nbsp;

However, the Israeli government has rubbished the report as "fake news".&nbsp;So far, the F-35s have only been offered to US's NATO allies and three other close partners, Japan, Israel and South Korea.&nbsp;

Therefore, for Israel, this stealth fighter has been a potent tool for maintaining military supremacy in West Asia.&nbsp;

The country has always been against providing such military capability to its neighbours since&nbsp;for Israel today's Arab friend could become&nbsp;tomorrow's enemy.&nbsp;

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Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz has expressed his government's disappointment in clear words.&nbsp;

"I'm telling you that we must not take any security risks. At the same time I repeatedly tell you that we should promote this agreement. I will speak to the Emirates' defence minister, just as (Israeli Foreign Minister) Gabi (Ashkenazi) spoke to the Emirates' foreign minister. We will support this governmental effort and will verify, and verify well, that our security interests are maintained. It is possible to sign a peace agreement while showing security responsibility, (or even) not just "possible" - we must sign a peace agreement while showing security responsibility," Gantz said.&nbsp;

It's less than a week since the historic peace deal between Israel and UAE was signed and it seems that the agreement has already hit its first roadblock.&nbsp;

Now, Washington has to decide whether it is willing to undercut Israel's military edge it once vowed to uphold.&nbsp;

The skies above the Middle East appear poised to host one of the world's most advanced aircraft. The F-35 fighter jets are said to be the most dominant aircraft ever built.

The skies above the Middle East appear poised to host one of the world's most advanced aircraft. The F-35 fighter jets are said to be the most dominant aircraft ever built. With a speed of Mach 1.6, these jets have the capability of jamming radars and disrupting attacks. Also read | 'They would like to buy F-35s': After peace accord with Israel, Trump puts fighter jets 'under review' for UAE The Trump administration is considering the sale of F-35 to the UAE, Washington's reward to the Kingdom for normalising relations with Israel. "So, yeah, they'd (UAE) like to buy F-35s. We'll see what happens. It's under review," US President Donald Trump said. Also read | Peace must be achieved with Palestinians, then all things possible: Saudi Arabia on Israel The deal is "under review" for now but has triggered a diplomatic row already. Israeli media first reported the story and the developments so far indicate that Israel is not happy. They has called it a "secret clause" which was part of the diplomatic agreement between Israel and the Emirates." However, the Israeli government has rubbished the report as "fake news". So far, the F-35s have only been offered to US's NATO allies and three other close partners, Japan, Israel and South Korea. Therefore, for Israel, this stealth fighter has been a potent tool for maintaining military supremacy in West Asia. The country has always been against providing such military capability to its neighbours since for Israel today's Arab friend could become tomorrow's enemy. × Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz has expressed his government's disappointment in clear words. "I'm telling you that we must not take any security risks. At the same time I repeatedly tell you that we should promote this agreement. I will speak to the Emirates' defence minister, just as (Israeli Foreign Minister) Gabi (Ashkenazi) spoke to the Emirates' foreign minister. We will support this governmental effort and will verify, and verify well, that our security interests are maintained. It is possible to sign a peace agreement while showing security responsibility, (or even) not just "possible" - we must sign a peace agreement while showing security responsibility," Gantz said. It's less than a week since the historic peace deal between Israel and UAE was signed and it seems that the agreement has already hit its first roadblock. Now, Washington has to decide whether it is willing to undercut Israel's military edge it once vowed to uphold.

Why sale of F-35s to UAE threatens Israel peace agreement

The United Arab Emirates has made a “huge mistake” in reaching a deal toward normalising ties with Israel, Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani said on Saturday in a speech furiously condemning what he called a betrayal by the Gulf state.

The Iranian hardline daily Kayhan, whose editor-in-chief is appointed by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said “the UAE has turned itself into a legitimate target for the resistance”, according to its website.

The UAE-Israel agreement announced on Thursday, which U.S. President Donald Trump helped to broker, is seen as aimed at bolstering opposition to regional power Iran.

In his televised speech, Rouhani warned the UAE against allowing Israel a “foothold in the region”.

“They (the UAE) better be mindful. They have committed a huge mistake, a treacherous act. We hope they will realise this and abandon this wrong path,” Rouhani said without elaborating.

In a front-page comment, the newspaper Kayhan said: “The UAE’s great betrayal of the Palestinian people ..., will turn this small, rich country which is heavily dependent on security into a ‘legitimate and easy target’ for the resistance.”

Iran often refers to militant forces and regional countries opposed to Israel and the United States as a “resistance” front.

Rouhani said the deal seemed aimed at ensuring that Trump wins another term in the U.S. presidential election in November and referred to the fact that it was announced in Washington.

“Why then did it happen now? If it weren’t a wrong deal, why was it then announced in a third country, in America? So a gentleman in Washington wins votes, you betray your country, your people, Muslims and the Arab world?”

Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guards Corps said in a statement the UAE-Israel deal would “accelerate the process of the destruction of the child-killing Zionist regime (Israel)”.

The United Arab Emirates has made a “huge mistake” in reaching a deal toward normalising ties with Israel, Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani said on Saturday in a speech furiously condemning what he called a betrayal by the Gulf state.

The United Arab Emirates has made a “huge mistake” in reaching a deal toward normalising ties with Israel, Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani said on Saturday in a speech furiously condemning what he called a betrayal by the Gulf state. The Iranian hardline daily Kayhan, whose editor-in-chief is appointed by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said “the UAE has turned itself into a legitimate target for the resistance”, according to its website. The UAE-Israel agreement announced on Thursday, which U.S. President Donald Trump helped to broker, is seen as aimed at bolstering opposition to regional power Iran. In his televised speech, Rouhani warned the UAE against allowing Israel a “foothold in the region”. “They (the UAE) better be mindful. They have committed a huge mistake, a treacherous act. We hope they will realise this and abandon this wrong path,” Rouhani said without elaborating. In a front-page comment, the newspaper Kayhan said: “The UAE’s great betrayal of the Palestinian people ..., will turn this small, rich country which is heavily dependent on security into a ‘legitimate and easy target’ for the resistance.” Iran often refers to militant forces and regional countries opposed to Israel and the United States as a “resistance” front. Rouhani said the deal seemed aimed at ensuring that Trump wins another term in the U.S. presidential election in November and referred to the fact that it was announced in Washington. “Why then did it happen now? If it weren’t a wrong deal, why was it then announced in a third country, in America? So a gentleman in Washington wins votes, you betray your country, your people, Muslims and the Arab world?” Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guards Corps said in a statement the UAE-Israel deal would “accelerate the process of the destruction of the child-killing Zionist regime (Israel)”.

Iran's president says UAE made 'huge mistake' with Israel deal

The United Arab Emirates and Israel have opened telephone lines between the two on Sunday. Israeli communications minister called this move important for normalising ties between the countries.

The United Arab Emirates and Israel have opened telephone lines between the two on Sunday. Israeli communications minister called this move important for normalising ties between the countries. Also read: Turkey 'will not back down' in east Mediterranean standoff, says Erdogan On Thursday, Israel and the UAE announced an agreement that will lead to full normalisation of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The telephone calls between the two countries were not possible earlier. Israel and the UAE inaugurated the opening of the phone lines after the foreign ministers of both countries held a telephone call with each other. The UAE's Telecoms Regulatory Authority did not immediately respond to a request to comment. Israeli Communications Minister Yoaz Hendel took to Twitter and said: "I congratulate the United Arab Emirates on the unblocking." "Many economic opportunities will now open up, and these trust-building steps are important for advancing the countries' interests." The UAE's two main telecoms operators Du and Etisalat did not immediately respond to requests for comment. (Inputs from Reuters)

UAE-Israel accord: Phone lines open between both countries to normalise relations

Delegations from the United Arab Emirates and Israel will meet during the coming weeks to sign bilateral agreements on areas including energy, tourism, direct flights, investment, security, communication and technology, the UAE foreign ministry said in a statement on Thursday.

Israel-UAE peace accord: What Donald Trump stands to gain

Israel, UAE, to sign historic peace deal to normalise relations

Tel Aviv city hall lit up in the United Arab Emirates colors on Thursday night (August 13) after a U.S.-brokered deal between Israel and the Gulf Arab country was announced.

Tel Aviv lights up in UAE colours after deal with Israel announced 

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