Researcher: Normalization with UAE, Israel Seems to Get Legitimacy

Jakarta, MINA – The normalization of relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), according to the viewpoint of Islamadina Institute researcher Fahmi Salsabila, stated that Israel seemed to get legitimacy or support from the Middle East region.

“Even though other Arab countries such as Saudi Arabia have not or will not normalize their diplomatic relations with Israel, Israel is increasingly confident because one of the rich Arab countries has normalized its diplomatic relations with Israel,” Fahmi said, when contacted by MINA on Sunday.

The impact of normalization on the Palestinian struggle is increasingly isolating Palestinians in their struggle for independence, “Israel will more easily and freely oppress the Palestinian people,” said Fahmi, who is also Secretary General of The Indonesian Society for Middle East Studies (ISMES).

Israel will increasingly seek to deliver on its plan to annex territories in the West Bank, despite the opposition of many, after normalization mediated by the US administration of Donald Trump.

Moreover, the US had previously moved its former embassy in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem on May 14 2018, he continued.

He added even though the international community was not sure about the peace map proposed by Israel, because Israel always denied what had been agreed. The Islamic world is also still unsure about Israel’s proposed two-state solution, “because of Israel’s arbitrary actions in accordance with the annexation plan of the West Bank.”

Fahmi also said that Indonesia and the Islamic world hoped that the OIC would become an extension of Islamic countries for the struggle for Palestinian independence.

The OIC is expected to continue to fully support the Palestinian independence struggle and seek support from other countries besides OIC member countries.

“The Palestinian problem is a pure problem of the occupation of the Israeli state against the weak Palestinian state, and this is a problem for the international world, not just the Muslim world,” he added.

Touching on the internal Palestinian issue, he said the importance of continuing to strengthen reconciliation, which has been carried out intensively since 2017, mediated by Egypt.

“Reconciliation between the various factions in Palestine is very important in the midst of annexation pressure by the Israeli occupation which is supported by the United States. When the Palestinian independence struggle has one vision, it will be easier to struggle against Israel, ”he said.

According to him, even though Palestine is considered weak, if the struggling groups unite it will become an asset in fighting against the Israeli occupation, either through negotiations or through armed struggle. (L/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)