Experts and diplomats said that the normalization of relations between Israel and the UAE may pave the way for the United States to sell more weapons to the Gulf state, while a right-wing Iranian newspaper considered the UAE a legitimate goal.
The US ambassador to Israel David Friedman said during an interview with National Public Radio, “The more the UAE becomes a friend of Israel and becomes a partner with Israel and becomes a regional ally of the United States, I clearly think that this will change the assessment of the threat and may work in the interest of the UAE,” regarding sales Future weapon.
David Makovsky, director of the Arab-Israeli Relations Project at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, told Reuters that this agreement is "a win for the UAE, which will undoubtedly be eligible for military sales that it could not obtain under the constraints of Qualitative Military Excellence due to fear of the possibility of using certain technology." Against Israel. "
Last Thursday, Israel and the UAE announced that they would normalize diplomatic relations and establish a new and broad relationship, under an agreement that US President Donald Trump helped broker.
The United States guarantees that Israel will obtain more sophisticated American weapons than the Arab countries, giving it what is described as "qualitative military superiority" over its neighbors.
An example is the Lockheed Martin F-35, which is used by Israel in combat but which the United Arab Emirates cannot currently purchase.
US lawmakers tried to curb the Trump administration’s plans for arms sales, especially to Saudi Arabia and the UAE, to pressure them to improve their human rights record, and do more to avoid civilian casualties in the air campaigns against the Houthis, who are backed by Iran in the war in Yemen.
The announcement of the normalization agreement between Tel Aviv and Abu Dhabi comes as the culmination of a long series of cooperation, coordination, communication and exchange of visits between the two countries, thus making the UAE the third Arab country to sign a peace agreement with Israel, after Egypt in 1979 and Jordan 1994.
A legitimate Iranian target
On the other hand, a right-wing Iranian newspaper reported on Saturday that the UAE had become a "legitimate target" for the forces loyal to Tehran after the Gulf state concluded a deal, described as "historic", with Israel to normalize relations.
The Kayhan newspaper, which speaks for the right-wing movement in the Iranian political system, considered the agreement a "blatant betrayal" of the Palestinian cause.
The UAE downgraded its relations with Iran in January 2016, amid escalating tensions between Saudi Arabia and the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The Iranian foreign minister also held talks in early August with his Emirati counterpart, in a rare move that focused in particular on cooperation in combating the "Covid-19" epidemic.
Despite the tense political relations, Iran and the UAE, which border the Persian Gulf, are important economic partners.
No cessation of settlements
The official broadcasting organization quoted unidentified Israeli officials that their country has not received any request from the US administration regarding a freeze on construction in the settlements, and that it does not intend to do so.
Following the announcement of the normalization agreement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu affirmed his government's adherence to the plan to annex settlements in the West Bank, although a joint statement issued by the United States, Israel and the UAE indicated that Tel Aviv "will stop the plan to annex Palestinian lands."
Amnesty International also said that the agreement between the UAE and Israel does not include the latter's complete abandonment of its plans to annex more lands in the occupied West Bank.
Amnesty added that Israel continues to build illegal settlements, and is systematically violating the human rights of the Palestinian people.
Amnesty stressed that any process aimed at a just and lasting peace should include the removal of settlements, the achievement of justice, and compensation for victims of Israeli crimes under international law.
Refraction and dependency
In reactions to the agreement, the Sudanese Just Peace Forum described the normalization of the United Arab Emirates' relations with Israel as a step that embodies the state of fracture and dependency in which some Arab countries have been involved.
In a statement, Al-Jazeera obtained a copy, the platform said that what had happened was an unprecedented concession to the "Zionist enemy", the occupier, for free, calling on the UAE to reconsider its decision, which it described as catastrophic.
Al-Minbar also warned the head of the Sudanese Transitional Sovereignty Council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, not to be involved in any step similar to the one taken by the UAE.