Description
But according to Andreas Krieg, an associate professor at the School of Security Studies at King’s College London, the downgrading of diplomatic engagement between Israel and the UAE is merely a message for the sake of saving face domestically and regionally, while the core of bilateral ties remains intact.“It is a PR effort more than anything … to signal to the Arab world, and most importantly its domestic audience … that it’s displeased with Israel’s treatment of Palestinians,” said Krieg, adding that global rejection of the current Israeli government was growing.
“The Abraham Accords were never about Palestine. So, whatever happens between Israel and the UAE is not necessarily linked to what’s happening between Israel and the Palestinians,” Krieg added.
Krieg told Al Jazeera that the UAE’s relationship with Israel was governed by pragmatism, making the Gulf state “happy to continue” investing in and attracting Israeli companies, specifically in the cyber and AI technology sectors, security monitoring and other defence-related industries – as long as its economic statecraft was not affected.
“The relationship between Israel and the UAE has been built on many pillars; politics and diplomacy are important, but beyond that, there is a very strong security relationship and investments which are more important,” he added.
| Period | 29 Mar 2023 |
|---|---|
| Held at | Al Jazeera, Qatar |
Keywords
- UAE
- Israel