Page 33 - HaMizrachi #27 Purim USA 2021

ISRAEL INSIGHT THE PEOPLE AND THE LAND

Gil Hoffman David M. Weinberg

Peace with the Gulf States

is Genuine

ews and Israelis have been condi- The Abraham Accords are meant “to UAE Crown Prince Mohammed bin
tioned to hear only bitterness from take religious hatred out of the equa- Zayed told me.
JIsrael’s Arab neighbors; a narrative tion,” and move Israel-Arab ties to the The Emiratis “have learned over the
of self-pity and anger marked by com- level of normal state-to-state relations, course of time” that boycotting Israel
plaints, false allegations, vituperation hopefully setting an example for other “makes no sense,” since Israel is clearly
and glorification of violence against Arab countries in the region. a force for stability and an engine for
Israel. In fact, the only way to stabilize the prosperity in the region. The Emira-
Nevertheless, from extensive conver- many areas of conflict throughout the tis have “matured”; unfortunately the
sations I have conducted with Emirati Middle East, say the Emiratis, is to make Palestinians have not, and the Emiratis
intellectuals in Dubai, I am persuaded “normal life” the central pursuit of all “cannot wait endlessly for the Palestin-
that the Emirati pursuit of peace with Arab governments. I was told, for exam- ians to do so.”
Israel is genuine. It is backed by a dis- ple, that it is a “normal thing” to have Emiratis are not impressed by the term
course of religious moderation and a choice of fruits and vegetables from “Judeo-Christian values,” and they are
broad-mindedness that is admirable. India, or from Israel, in Emirati grocery quick to point out that in the 21st cen-
The Emiratis are a distinctive type of stores. tury a clearly identifiable (Orthodox)
Arab Muslim. They want to redefine the More importantly, normal family life Jew can walk the streets of Dubai or
self-identity and global image of Arab revolves around school schedules and Doha in much more safety and com-
Muslims in a way that blends enlight- the quality of education. At the direc- fort than he/she can walk the streets of
enment with tradition. Affiliating with tive of Emirati leadership, for almost two Berlin, London, Paris or New York.
Israel fits perfectly into this agenda, decades schools have taught religious The Emiratis prefer to speak of “Abra-
and ethnic tolerance, and the value
aside from the security and economic of scientific and critical humanistic hamic Family values,” which are less
benefits that will devolve from the thinking. religiously divisive and more inclusive.
UAE-Israel partnership. Therefore, Emiratis speak excellent Of course, this “Abrahamic narrative” is
Indeed, the Emiratis see themselves as English, study voraciously at the best also meant to challenge the anti-West-
a people and a country that successfully universities abroad, embrace all the ern and anti-Israeli agenda of Islamist
extremists, as well as the mainly Euro-
blends ancient tradition, culture and latest technologies in developing their pean and Christian hard right which sees
ethnic identity with modern progress country, and speak the language of mul- all Muslims as inherently anti-Western,
and ambition. (That, by the way, is how ticulturalism and non-discrimination. It anti-Semitic, anti-Christian and all-to-
they view Jews and Israel too.) is, apparently, why every Emirati busi- gether threatening.
The core problem in the Middle East, nessman and cultural figure I have met, Some Emiratis are even willing to say
say Emiratis, is that religious hatred has says: “We have been waiting for so long openly that Jews and Israelis should
become the main political currency, a for an above-the-table relationship with be allowed to pray on Har HaBayit in
very volatile and hypocritically exploited Israel.” Jerusalem, and that prayer rights there
currency. Iran invests heavily in religious The Emiratis see themselves and other should be extended to Christians too
hatred; hatred of Israel, of America and Sunni Arabs as “victims of decades if they so wish. “Islam is not meant to
the West, and of other Muslims who do of media brainwashing” in support deny others their deep connections to
not hew to the radical Shiite line. The of “narrow” agendas and “immature” G-d,” I was told.
Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps thinking. These deleterious discourses
relies on religious hatred to mobilize always need an “enemy” to hate.
young men to its ranks. So do Turkey “Hatred is not from G-d. It does not David M. Weinberg is vice president of the
Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security,
and the Muslim Brotherhood, ISIS and flow from logic. And hatred is not the jiss.org.il. His personal site is davidmwein-
Al-Qaeda. future,” a very senior Emirati close to berg.com.

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