Read on Twitter
A few points from our coverage today: #Israel #UAE #Bahrain have never been at war, but everyone used the rhetoric of peace. And what led to today is a series of shared interests, challenges, and doubts:
Shared economic interests in investment and trade; shared challenges of political Islam and Iran--missile capacity and increased proxy influence across the region; and shared doubts about US commitment to the region that has led to Israel being seen as the more reliable partner.
Meanwhile, #UAE hoping to buy American weapons including armed drones and the F-35, and hoping to buy goodwill in Washington among those who criticize the country for having helped lead a war in Yemen that’s killed tens of thousands.
Of course, left unsolved is Israel's core conflict with Palestinians--as militants in Gaza and Ramallah protestors highlighted today. UAE says normalization "halted" Israeli annexation of West Bank settlements--a sign there's no way for Arab govts to run against Palestinian issue
A question one analyst asks: will there be a regional Autumn of Anger, in which pro-Palestinian protesters object to their governments normalizing before peace?
Another question: what kind of wink and nod did Riyadh give Bahrain? Also, there's a difference of opinion between King Salman and MBS. Will Salman continue to reject normalization before peace? Will MBS believe normalization gets him out of the international penalty box?
Another question: could normalization restrain Israel from launching another war in Gaza, since #UAE would presumably object to a war that causes local political trouble?
Our coverage from tonight: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/the-shared-interests-and-concerns-that-led-to-israels-normalization-with-bahrain-and-uae
Followed by @JudyWoodruff interview with Jared Kushner: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/kushner-on-historic-middle-east-agreement-trumps-pandemic-response
