(Israel Hayom) Prof. Eyal Zisser - As long as Israel and the Palestinians don't reach a peace deal based on Palestinian demands - and very possibly even after such a deal is reached - all of the Arab countries, including the Gulf States, will have a hard time engaging with Israel openly and publicly. Therefore, regardless of what the Israeli government does concerning sovereignty over parts of the West Bank, the result will be the same: Arab countries will continue secretly bolstering security and other forms of cooperation with Israel and will continue promoting regional peace initiatives - but nothing more. Given the regional geopolitical map, Israel must consider its steps carefully and move forward with caution. However, without any realistic chance for peace in the Middle East, it would be a mistake to assume that one particular Israeli initiative will fundamentally alter reality - either positively, toward a diplomatic breakthrough with the Arab world, or negatively, toward a military escalation and ultimately war. The writer is a lecturer in the Middle East History Department at Tel Aviv University.
2020-06-17 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive