Foreign Policy Blogs

WikiLeaks: Israel Actually OK

The incessant mantra in the Middle East is often that Israel (often called the “Zionist entity” or an “apartheid state”) is an unwelcome gnat hovering around Arab states’ peaceful picnic. In a defiant move, Egypt singed a peace accord with Israel, which was followed approximately a decade and a half later by Jordan. Israel remains, though, unacknowledged and at war with the bulk of the Arab world — or so we thought.

There have been reports of Israel and Gulf state coordination, including a reported agreement that would permit Israel to bomb Iran by traveling through Saudi airspace. But, many Arab leaders, regardless of how they personally feel about Israel, must condemn the Jewish state and refuse diplomatic ties because their population is starkly opposed to Israel.

In its data dump, WikiLeaks has shed more light on Israel’s relations with its Arab neighbors. For example, it appears that former Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and U.A.E. Foreign Minister Abdullah Ibn Zayed developed quite the bond that they had to shield from the Arab world. Further, Israel, Qatar and the Saudis have somewhat close ties. As Ha’Aretz reports:

While Israel and the U.A.E. do not have official diplomatic relations, the diplomatic cable exposed by WikiLeaks uncovers the secret and persistent dialogue between the two countries during the administration of former Prime Minster Ehud Olmert.

In addition to the Foreign Ministry, which was reportedly in charge of most of these covert contacts, reports have also emerged that the Mossad Meir Dagan chief was entrusted with secret talks with Saudi Arabia.

Another part of the cable also addressed Israel’s ties with Qatar, which were severed several months prior to the reported meeting over Israel’s war against Hamas in early 2009.

Meanwhile, the leaked documents also reveal, as widely reported, that the Arab world largely opposed a nuclear Iran and sought U.S. efforts to halt the Iranian nuclear program. While not surprising, that contrast clearly indicates that world leaders support some Israel efforts (such as ensuring Tehran does not obtain a nuclear weapon) even while they distance themselves in public.

Yet, the population, media and rhetoric in the Arab world and in many parts of Europe are still emphatically anti-Israel. Perhaps, if these world leaders showed courage and expressed their true views in public, anti-Israel and anti-Semitic sentiments around the globe could shift to more adequately reflect the reality that Israel is not a pariah, but actually a state courageous enough to speak out against terror and militant states that are threatening global stability.

 

Author

Ben Moscovitch

Ben Moscovitch is a Washington D.C.-based political reporter and has covered Congress, homeland security, and health care. He completed an intensive two-year Master's in Middle Eastern History program at Tel Aviv University, where he wrote his thesis on the roots of Palestinian democratic reforms. Ben graduated from Georgetown University with a BA in English Literature. He currently resides in Washington, D.C. Twitter follow: @benmoscovitch

Areas of Focus:
Middle East; Israel-Palestine; Politics

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