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THE slow but steady wave of normalisation between Arab states and Israel rolls on, with Morocco being the fourth nation in recent months to establish ties with the Jewish state. The development was announced on Thursday via Twitter by outgoing US President Donald Trump, who has made cobbling together a ‘coalition of the willing’ of Arabs and Israel a central plank of his foreign policy.
Mr Trump has labelled it a “massive breakthrough”, while Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel chimed in by terming the scheme “another great light for peace”. In return for establishing ties with Tel Aviv, Rabat has won American recognition for Moroccan sovereignty over the disputed Western Sahara.
Where Arab politics is concerned, Morocco is an outlier, so it is difficult to be convinced by the American and Israeli exuberance over the latest deal. However, Arab regimes know well that the road to Washington goes through Tel Aviv, which explains their eagerness to ditch their Palestinian ‘brothers’ and Arab consensus over the Palestine question, and embrace Israel. Moreover, the UAE and then Bahrain — which were the first Arab states in decades to recognise Israel — have found a kindred spirit in Tel Aviv that also seeks to ‘contain’ Iran.
More Arab and Muslim states will expectedly follow, paying lip service to the just cause of Palestine while booking the next flight to Tel Aviv. Yet the elephant in the room is Saudi Arabia. There has been fervent media speculation over covert Saudi-Israeli meetings; one report even said Mr Netanyahu flew to northern Saudi Arabia for clandestine parleys with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The Saudis have officially denied this as it is a sensitive matter, with the kingdom hosting Islam’s holiest cities. In fact, senior Saudi Prince Turki bin Faisal was highly critical of Israel at a recent summit in Bahrain, with the Israeli foreign minister attending remotely. This shows that even within Saudi Arabia there is resistance to embracing Israel fully, without an equitable solution to the Palestine question.
Published in Dawn, December 12th, 2020
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Comments (81) Closed
Dec 12, 2020 07:48am
Boycott Morocco
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Dec 12, 2020 08:34am
Broader message is let us be content with whatever we have and live in peace. There is history behind every past or present event and only wayout or solution is recognising reality and move on.
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Dec 12, 2020 08:47am
All the Stuff is a fait accompli
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Dec 12, 2020 09:00am
It's all the game of 'Regional hegemony', which Saudi Arabia have been eager for.
Second thing to be mentioned here is, Arabian peninsula has an Oil centric economy, as Regional energy competitors are surging, it is difficult for arabians to maintain that status of the economy. Along the way there is also a MBS 2030 vision for transitioning economy from Oil. Israelis are world top businessmen only they can make do with saudi's economy.
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Dec 12, 2020 09:06am
Trump should get Nobel peace prize.
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Dec 12, 2020 09:14am
Long live Israel.
Haters keep hating yourselves.
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Dec 12, 2020 09:15am
Artificial peace deals for the artificial state of Isreal through the artificial Rulers in the Muslim lands , Isreal is the problem of Palestine.
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Dec 12, 2020 09:15am
Isreal is the problem of Palestine.
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Dec 12, 2020 09:17am
Middle East is progressing towards peace and prosperous
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Dec 12, 2020 09:23am
Heartburn continues for some.
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Dec 12, 2020 09:50am
Better to have good relations with Israel and work as friends to resolve Palestine issues. Arabs will never do it as there interests are to protect their monarchy and counter threats from Iran and jnternal groups.
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Dec 12, 2020 09:51am
Economic power counts. Israel has it, plus huge diaspora. Muslim countries will have their say only when rheir economies get sizeable. It is now seen religious unity is not there among them.
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Dec 12, 2020 09:51am
We want to ...’But ‘we really want to ..Same time we are the flag bearers of self determination..what can we do ...?
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Dec 12, 2020 09:52am
In the Middle East’s regional politics Israel seems to have successfully played its ‘trump’ card.
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Dec 12, 2020 09:57am
Tech knowledge education ..matters in the current world..stone throwing does not help..
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Dec 12, 2020 10:04am
Very busy with Palestine... Meanwhile some other countries are busy trying to land their man/woman on moon
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Dec 12, 2020 10:15am
Saudi Arabia waiting for Pakistan.
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Dec 12, 2020 10:16am
The mobd toward so-called normalization is supported by a handful of Arab dictators, and not the mass public who have no political say. If anything, it shows the true colors of Israel, willing to work with autocratic regimes known for gross human rights violations. Resentment among the silent masses will only grow.
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Dec 12, 2020 10:20am
Pakistan should look after the interests of its people and recognize Israel as well. This whole concept of Muslim Umma has been and is a Utopian Dream. A country has to give priority to the welfare of its people; the people living within the territorial boundaries of that country.
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Dec 12, 2020 10:31am
Religion and relationships are getting delinked in 21st century. Time waits for no one.
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Dec 12, 2020 10:37am
Even Pakistan would have meekly recognised Israel if not for its boastful Islamic hard posturing all these years. Pakistan's love for Palestine is also a lip service to get GIC support for its Kashmir problem.
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Dec 12, 2020 10:38am
Wait for some more time for a U turn by Surrender Niazi.
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Dec 12, 2020 10:38am
Nothing, Just a fait accompli
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Dec 12, 2020 10:40am
Making peace is always good.
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Dec 12, 2020 10:40am
what one may visualise at present is that the very islamic sun that rose from arabia, now thanks to the wayward US besotted autocratic arab rulers, seems to be setting in arabia that is back to the pre-islamic times if these western spell bound autocrats can help it. but after decadence renaissance will come when the common arabs find their voice and rise to stop the rot.
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Dec 12, 2020 10:56am
Mark my words they will come for Help.
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Dec 12, 2020 11:35am
It is not practical to go hunger for another forever. If you do so both will perish at the end.
BTW how many brotherly countries give economic aid to Palestine? If you give reasonable % of your GDP or at least your military spending. then that will improve living standards of Palestine.
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Dec 12, 2020 11:52am
Both Pakistan and Israel have much to gain economically by establishing normal relations and trade. Both are nuclear powers too. Let us establish friendship with all countries. With 23 million school-age children not in schools, more investment is needed to ensure a brighter future for our children.
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Dec 12, 2020 11:55am
@Roma, Kamala and Biden will get it for doing nothing. They were on Time magazine.
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Dec 12, 2020 12:06pm
Turkey, the real Khalifa, can help Palestinians.
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Dec 12, 2020 12:10pm
Arabs have almost given up Palestine.
Morocco traded Western Sahara land in exchange for recognising Israel.
We must trade for liberation of Kashmir from India to recognise Israel.
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Dec 12, 2020 12:17pm
Beggar's can't be chooser
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Dec 12, 2020 12:23pm
@SRK,
Boycott Morocco"
If they go by your advice soon Pakistan will be bycotted by 85% of OIC members because most of them are on their way to recognise Isreal.
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Dec 12, 2020 12:26pm
@Jimmy,
Isreal through the artificial Rulers in the Muslim lands"
How can you call Isreal as rule in Muslim land. Jews were in that area 1000 years before Islam came into existence.
If we go by your statement ,then in which land is present Pakistan?
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Dec 12, 2020 12:28pm
In this world of ours, self-interest reigns supreme!
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Dec 12, 2020 12:30pm
@Asif A Shah,
Pakistan should look after the interests of its people and recognize Israel as well. "
Do you think Mullas in Pakistan will allow this ? Can Pakistan take any such step without support of these Mullas who hold sway over public?
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Dec 12, 2020 12:41pm
Lets deal with the PDM farce and we can look into relations in the new year
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Dec 12, 2020 12:44pm
It has to happen. May take a little longer than usual but it will happen. It's inevitable despite the denials and condemnation. Time to smell the coffee and wake up to emerging geopolitics.
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Dec 12, 2020 12:56pm
Shabat shalom Israel.
Hope our govt. also normalize ties with Israel, and forget lost cause of Palestinians since nothing fruitful ever came by supporting back-stabbers.
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Dec 12, 2020 01:02pm
Israel is a powerful and Rich country, it is a fact and here to stay.
It would be wiser for Islamic countries to accept the reality by recognising Israel and get some advanced technology like Azerbaijan and UAE.
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Dec 12, 2020 01:10pm
@M. Emad,
"Saudi Arabia waiting for Pakistan...."
Saudi Arabia doesn't care about Pakistan.....
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Dec 12, 2020 01:25pm
Pakistanis like having someone to point their finger at and say "you are the cause of all the problems, you are evil, you are terrorists, you steal, you persecute, you oppress". Recognising Israel makes this more tricky.
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Dec 12, 2020 01:39pm
India dislikes any idea of friendship between pak and israel.we don't want share goodies with them.
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Dec 12, 2020 02:09pm
@Vasudevan, pak believes it is voice of ummah
great warriors.
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Dec 12, 2020 02:09pm
@Joe, That's the problem with our people Instead of finding the root cause, we (mullahs and seculars alike) look for the shortcuts. Everyone knows that arabs are the richest nations in the world. Why is it so that despite having oil reserves, land, man power and wealth they are far behind the israelis? Why is it so that Israel being a small country has much more powerful lobby(AIPAC) in US while muslims don't have any? Our seculars always love to blame Islam for our incompetencies.
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Dec 12, 2020 02:10pm
@Ishant, well said, and this is what the US and its faithless lackeys fear. this necessitates the reorganisation of the OIC
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Dec 12, 2020 02:20pm
@Sohail, formation of a muslim commonwealth will be much more gainful for the islamic states and this is what the US-Israeli dyad fears and has planned to prevent.
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Dec 12, 2020 02:24pm
Stay with your stand till Palestine itself recognise Israel.
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Dec 12, 2020 02:36pm
When the going gets tough and the intensive pressure from the White House in Washington, D.C. gets rough, only the toughest and roughest get going.
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Dec 12, 2020 02:48pm
@M. Emad, Why doesn't Bangladesh recognize Israel. Take the first step instead of waiting for Pakistan or Saudi Arabia.
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Dec 12, 2020 02:51pm
In two years time, Pakistan will recognize Israel. The Miltablishment in Pakistan wants that as well.
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Dec 12, 2020 03:24pm
When the going gets tough and the intense and intensive pressure on a consistent and persistence basis from the White House gets rough, only the toughest and roughest get going.
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Dec 12, 2020 03:41pm
Is Donald Trump the American president ...... or is he a lobbyist for Israel.
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Dec 12, 2020 07:26pm
@Roma, True, Trump should get Nobel peace prize.
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Dec 12, 2020 07:40pm
@SRK, Start boycotting every nation which recognize Israel and one day Pakistan will be isolated completely in Muslim world if it not understand the flow of wind.
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Dec 12, 2020 08:56pm
Even bigger elephant in the room is Pakistan after Saudi Arabia!
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Dec 12, 2020 09:02pm
Current Era is about realism. National interests are more important than any just cause and Morocco can't resist pressure.
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Dec 12, 2020 09:35pm
Time and again Palestinians have refused to negotiate in good faith - like the American's the Arabs have finally said ENOUGH!
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Dec 12, 2020 09:36pm
@Parvez, Was both and will soon be joined by Maulana Fazl.
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Dec 12, 2020 09:45pm
MBS
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Dec 12, 2020 09:47pm
You may talk about Palestinian rights till cows come home; nothing will change on the ground in the near future.
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Dec 12, 2020 09:49pm
@Babu, Israel is rich and powerful? Its neither. Israel received $3.8B assistance from US last year US plus $8 B in loan guarantees. if you divide the total aid over its 8Mil population. it comes around 500 hundred dollars per person. Its more than per capita income of India.If US aid is stopped, Israel will go broke in less than 3 months.There is lot of stuff you don,t know or don,t want know.Do some research before you spread the disinformation/lies. Israel is being recognized by dictators.
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Dec 12, 2020 09:53pm
One by one all Arab counties will recognize Israel. They have seen the light.
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Dec 12, 2020 10:12pm
@Joe
"Jews were in that area 1000 years before Islam came into existence." So is that your reasoning for stealing Palestinian's land? Muslims once ruled Spain for 800 years, way more than Jews lived in Jerusalem. Britishers used to have 25% of world's land under their empire. By your logic, their current generations should go and claim their "ancestral" rights to those places.
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Dec 12, 2020 10:29pm
@Parvez, He is both. He is Christian by name but practices Jewish faith. He has been throwing Hanukah parties at the WH for the last few days. His daughter Ivanka converted to Judaism and is married to Jerry Kushner who is a jew. He can only pressure dictators in the arab world.
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Dec 12, 2020 10:47pm
This is not a peace agreement instead hammer on dictators/king’s head of these Arab States by a powerful country to sign a peace treaty with Israel by hook and crook. Peace is only possible when Palestine becomes independent country on the world map.
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Dec 12, 2020 10:54pm
Morrocco was not heavily leaned upon by the Israeli lobby AIPAC in the USA because of its lack of oil reserves and more of a tourist-based economy. The question must be asked, why has Morrocco so easily and stealthily caved into the coercion of filing in the line of rest of the compromised GCC leaders? Jeffrey Epstein's affairs going back to 1970's is the correct answer to this mystery. Mossad's sex library has the largest collection on Arabs than anyone in the world and for good reasons!
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Dec 12, 2020 11:08pm
@M. Saeed, India will grab Kashmir from you illegal occupants , who are you to trade Kashmir from India.Apni aukat to dekho.
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Dec 12, 2020 11:10pm
@King, Pakistan will do what China says.
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Dec 12, 2020 11:11pm
So two conclusions can be reached from all these developments of recognition of "Israel". If Arab and Muslim nations are recognizing Israel without Saudi Arabia doing so publicly, then they don't consider KSA to be a leader of Muslim nation, and secondly, most Arab and Muslim states seem to have washed their hands off Palestinians. Once Israel is recognized by these countries, there is no going back that easily.
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Dec 12, 2020 11:28pm
Wait and see when they reap what they sow.
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Dec 12, 2020 11:38pm
Soon even Palestine will recognise Israel
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Dec 13, 2020 01:02am
MBS is immature , and lacks wisdom , with all the the influence SA has , and the close relationship it enjoys with the US , it could not get a recognition of a Palestine State From USA ,along with a reciprocal recognition of Israel from Arab countries.
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Dec 13, 2020 03:58am
Arabs sold and buried the Palestinian cause staying true to their history as they had done to Ottoman Empire,
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Dec 13, 2020 09:38am
Being poor is not a an abuse, but being greedy, selfish and conscienceless is death of humanity and the values make the only difference between human being and the animals. I'm proud of being Muslim and Pakistani, because we always support the oppressed people on the globe regardless their religion and our interests, hoping reward on the day of judgement. Shame on the humanity for supporting the oppressors.
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Dec 13, 2020 10:09am
Peace is better than war.
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Dec 13, 2020 03:41pm
Israel is the Problem of the World
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Dec 13, 2020 07:18pm
The slow wave of normalization , could have been over long time ago , if only Israel would recognize Palestine , and give the Palestinians its due rights , Israel will have to do that , better sooner than later.
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Dec 13, 2020 07:43pm
Except trio of Pakistan, Malaysia and Turkey, other Muslim countries would make peace with Israel very soon.
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Dec 13, 2020 09:07pm
@Umme Jahra,
" Israel is the Problem of the World... "
The World has a Different Opinion....
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Dec 13, 2020 09:15pm
@Umme Jahra,
" Israel is the Problem of the World... "
No it's the Solution.... (The Arabs know better) That's why they are Lining up....
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