Normalized Arab States Face Dilemma as Israeli-Palestinian Tensions Escalate

Morocco, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan engaged in the normalization of their relations with Israel are in an embarrassing situation. "By going through a period of tension and escalation over the past few days, the Israeli-Palestinian issue, which has been relegated to the background of the diplomatic priorities of the Gulf countries for several years, has become an embarrassing element for those engaged in this process," Karim Sader, a political scientist and consultant specializing in the Gulf countries, explained to France 24.

"And as soon as a holy site of Islam is at the heart of the tensions, these countries are forced to react but in terms that, due to their diplomatic approach, do not have the same rhetoric or the same weight as those of non-Arab powers, namely Turkey and Iran, at the forefront of recovering the Palestinian cause," he added, before returning to the demonstrations that had been organized in Morocco to protest against the normalization of diplomatic relations between the kingdom and Israel.

According to Karim Sader, these demonstrations, which took place "not in the street due to the locking down of the political space but on social networks," aim to remind the Arab leaders concerned "that the issue of the fate and rights of the Palestinians is still not resolved and that their opinions are still sensitive to it." "This mobilization and this anger are also proof of the fragility of the rapprochement processes and by extension that there will probably be no possible peace agreement as long as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict persists," the specialist believes.