How Israel Fits Into the UAE Doctrine
Normalization of relations is key to the Emirati view of regional security and its own economic future.
Man with a plan.
Photographer: Roslan Rahman/AFP
The agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates to normalize relations didn’t come out of the clear blue sky: since the mid-1990s, many Gulf Arab countries have been slowly and quietly building their relationships with Israel, without breaking the long-standing taboo against formal recognition without any significant progress on Palestinian rights. The UAE’s decision to take the plunge reflects a willingness to cross that line in pursuit of the ambitious role it has set for itself in the Middle East.
Despite its small size, the UAE aspires to be one of the region’s leaders, promoting an Emirati vision for the social, political and economic future in the Arab world. This view emphasizes religious tolerance, ethnic diversity, social and cultural openness, and confident Arab cultural and economic engagement with the outside world. But it has little use for democracy, instead championing a strict security state that closely regulates political speech and activity.