By Khalid Ghanim

The United Arab Emirates and Israel announced a historic peace accord last week that stipulates normalizing bilateral relations between the two countries. This was mainly about keeping critical doors open while advancing the cause of regional peace and stability, especially as the UAE saw both a threat to peace and an opportunity within the context of fast changing regional and global dynamics. Though this is a significant development which comes at a crucial time for the region, the normalization of relations with Israel is by no means unusual. Many countries around the world, including Gulf and Arab states, as well as OIC members, have developed relations with Israel over the past decades. At present, out of the 57 member states of the Organization for Islamic Cooperation (OIC), 29 member countries have established diplomatic relations with Israel. The UAE has welcomed the accord as we look to the future and have sought to ensure the greatest benefit to the region and its peoples. The courageous move and decision by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, reflects the pragmatism we so desperately need in a region that has not known peace for the past decades.

While the UAE follows in the footsteps of a few Arab countries in commencing bilateral ties, our larger hope is that it will pave the way for greater cooperation, and less tensions among peoples across the region. Sadly, we have all come to realize that the boycott of the past years did not fulfill the aspirations of the Arab peoples in general and the Palestinian people in particular. On the contrary, this crisis has not only affected Palestinians and Israelis, it has also destabilized our region and paved the way for extremist groups to spread messages of hate and violence. We therefore believe in the necessity of breaking the deadlock in the political process and to promote a two-state solution where Palestine and Israel live side by side in understanding, peace, and prosperity.

Over the past decades, since the establishment of the UAE in 1971, my country has long been a strong and fierce advocate of the Palestinian people and their right to dignity and self-determination, and while we unfortunately cannot realize the Palestinian ambitions for them, we believe this accord is a very positive step- and one that provides the space and the time in which to build a just and fair settlement. It is now necessary to move forward through diplomatic and political means to resolve the crises that are ravaging the Middle East, and the UAE-Israel peace accord is an opportunity for Israel, the Palestinians, the region and the international community to build on this historic peace achievement in the region.

Paradoxically, it was the pressure exerted by Israel to annex more Palestinian territories that had largely contributed to the concluding of the peace accord between the UAE and Israel as the UAE realized that this option would have disappeared altogether forever, had Israel annexed more Palestinian lands. This is ultimately due to the fact that the UAE believed and still believes that the two-state solution is the only viable solution for the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. It is also important for me to highlight that halting annexation of the West Bank is a major achievement, especially as it provides the space and time for Israel and the Palestinians, with the support of the international community, to come to a just and lasting settlement. This is a very important step towards increased security, stability and peace in the region.

We are encouraged that the countries' reactions to this accord are mostly positive, believing in its importance and contribution to ensuring the security and stability of the region, especially as the accord begins to address the threat to the chances of a two-state solution. Ultimately, it is beyond doubt that the responsibility rests on the Palestinians and the Israelis to fully utilize the opportunities put forth before them by this accord for the interest of their peoples. We believe that the international community will also have a bigger and stronger role to play regarding the peace process.

However, in the face of the organized campaigns that have work hard to disrupt the positive and optimistic attributes of this historic accord, the UAE affirms that establishing any bilateral relations is the sovereign right of states, and that the UAE has the right to initiate diplomatic relations with Israel or any other country according to its sovereign discretion and based on its national interests. And while the UAE refuses any interference in its sovereign decisions- especially from those who have had relations with Israel for many years – it affirms that it strongly believes in the rights of the Palestinian people, and that the UAE and its leaders have a long-standing commitment to supporting the Palestinian people. Our voting record and statements in the UN and in regional and international forums proves this beyond any doubt, as does our provision of humanitarian and development aid to the Palestinian people and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

As a final note, there will always be those who prefer confrontation to peace in this world. We strongly believe in moving forward and not allowing the past, and past grievances or hateful ideologies contaminate future opportunities and prospects for peaceful coexistence in our region. Our ambition is a more peaceful, tolerant and prosperous Middle East, for both ourselves and all our neighbors in the region.

(His Excellency Khalid Ghanim is the United Arab Emirates Ambassador to Malaysia.)