The prospect of a normalization deal between Saudi Arabia and Israel has raised concerns among experts and activists who fear that such an agreement would undermine the Palestinian cause and bolster authoritarian regimes in the Middle East.
According to reports, the Biden administration has been pushing for a breakthrough in the relations between Riyadh and Tel Aviv, following the footsteps of the Trump administration, which brokered similar deals between Israel and four Arab states last year under the banner of the Abraham Accords.
However, some analysts argue that these deals have not brought peace or stability to the region, but rather have enabled Israel to continue its occupation and oppression of the Palestinians, while giving a green light to the Arab regimes to crack down on dissent and human rights.
“It’s a colossal distortion of reality for anyone who has spent any time in the region and on the ground,” said Nader Hashemi, director of the Alwaleed Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown University, during a conference organized by the Arab Center think tank in Washington, DC, on Tuesday.
“It’s a political disaster in the making at worst that will further destabilize the Middle East.”
Hashemi said that the normalization deals are dependent on the persistence of repressive regimes in the Middle East, while ignoring the core aspirations of the region’s people for political freedom, accountable government, and self-determination.
“Authoritarian regimes are ascendant everywhere, while democratic opposition groups, civil societies and social protest movements are severely repressed, especially in the Arab world,” he said.
“The Abraham Accords have been very damaging to local conditions, both for pro-democracy movements and groups that exist, but also for pro-democracy sentiment.”
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is widely seen as the de facto ruler of the kingdom, has been accused of overseeing a brutal crackdown on critics, activists, journalists and dissidents since he rose to power in 2017. He has also been implicated in the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018 and the ongoing war in Yemen that has caused a humanitarian catastrophe.
In an interview with Fox News last week, bin Salman said that he was getting closer to a normalization deal with Israel “every day”, but did not mention any conditions or concessions for the Palestinians.
The Palestinians have rejected the Abraham Accords as a betrayal of their cause and a violation of the Arab Peace Initiative of 2002, which offered Israel normalization with all Arab states in return for ending its occupation of Palestinian territories and allowing the creation of a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.
PA’s Demands
According to Axios, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has presented a list of demands to Saudi Arabia in exchange for his support for their normalization with Israel. These include changing the status of some areas in the occupied West Bank from Area C to Area B, opening a Saudi consulate in Jerusalem, and resuming final-status negotiations with Israel with a clear timetable.
However, it is unclear whether Saudi Arabia will accept these demands or whether Israel will agree to them. Israel considers Jerusalem as its undivided capital and opposes any diplomatic missions serving non-Israelis in the city. It also rejects any withdrawal from the West Bank or any compromise on its security interests.
Some observers have suggested that Saudi Arabia may be seeking security guarantees from the United States, assistance in developing a civilian nuclear program, and fewer restrictions on US arms sales in exchange for normalizing ties with Israel. These incentives may outweigh any concerns about Palestinian rights or regional stability.
The potential normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel would also have implications for other regional actors, such as Iran, Turkey and Qatar, who have different views and interests on the Palestinian issue and the role of Israel in the Middle East.
Some experts have warned that a Saudi-Israeli deal could escalate tensions and conflicts in the region, rather than reduce them. They have called for a more inclusive and comprehensive approach that addresses the root causes of the problems and respects the rights and aspirations of all peoples.
