SHAFAQNA- “Trump is trying to win the election by normalizing Arab-Israeli relations and gaining the support of Israel, for this reason, the withdrawal of the UAE and Bahrain from the Arab and Islamic spheres and the normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israelis show that the Palestinian people face two major challenges,” Hassan Hanizadeh, Middle East Affairs Expert says about Israel’s recent agreement with the UAE and Bahrain.
Following is the full text of Shafaqna‘s interview with Mr. Hanizadeh:
Shafaqna: Israel, with the help of the United States, has begun to normalize relations with some Arab countries, and these agreements have become public. What are the consequences of this agreement ?
Hanizadeh: As expected, the United States has long been trying to publicize the relationship between the Arab countries of the Persian Gulf and Israel. For the past three years, and especially after the failure of the Deal of the Century, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain have been encouraged to make their relationship with Israel public. During this time, Bahraini and Saudi officials traveled to the occupied territories several times, paving the way for normalization of relations with Isreal.
Trump is trying to win the election by normalizing relations between the Arabs and Israel
The UAE and Bahrain also recently signed a peace agreement with Israel in the presence of Donald Trump during a ceremony at the White House, indicating that Trump is trying to win the election by normalizing Arab-Israeli relations and lobbying for attract the support of Israelis. That is why the withdrawal of the UAE and Bahrain from the Arab and Islamic spheres and the normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel show that the Palestinian people face two major challenges. One is the Israeli regime, which continues its aggression at the same time, and the other is the Arab regimes, which have established relations with Israel without any justification and logic, and have sided with Israel, leaving the Palestinian people alone.
Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in a meeting with the leaders of the Palestinian movements, formed a joint front against the leaders of the Arab and Israeli regimes in order to form struggle mechanisms based on the new conditions in the region. For this reason, it seems that in the future there will be interaction between the Palestinians and the Arab regimes, while the presence of Israel on the other side of the Persian Gulf threatens the security of this strategic waterway, and this presence could be challenging for the national security of Iran and member states of the resistance.
Shafaqna: Why did these Arab countries break the pact with the Palestinian people by normalizing relations? Will this situation continue or will it face tension?
Other countries, such as Saudi Arabia, the Kingdom of Oman, the Maghreb, and possibly Sudan, will join the convoy
Hanizadeh: Other countries, such as Saudi Arabia, the Kingdom of Oman, the Maghreb, and possibly Sudan, will join the convoy. The GCC countries are seeking to help Trump stay in the White House by normalizing relations, as the six countries fear democrats coming to power in the absence of democratic models.
Shafaqna: What will be Iran’s reaction? Is Iran taking a defensive stance?
Hanizadeh: The Islamic Republic of Iran must be sensitive to Israel’s presence in the region and warn these countries seriously. Israel seeks to strengthen its military presence to the detriment of Iran, and this presence is extremely dangerous to Iran’s national security.
Shafaqna: Can Iran unite with countries that oppose the normalization of Israeli-Arab relations, such as Turkey?
Hanizadeh: It is natural that Turkey is an Islamic and great country that has an emotional view of Palestine, but Turkey’s position in this regard is not very clear. Iran must strengthen its relations with Turkey in this context and form a broad front against the normalization of relations with Israel. Turkey has political differences with the countries of the Persian Gulf except Qatar, but Turkey’s recent stance could be a point of hope for cooperation between Iran and Turkey.
Today, the ugliness of establishing relations with Israel is broken in the Arab world
Shafaqna: Do you think that the normalization of relations between the Saudis and the Israelis will take place by the 2020 elections?
Hanizadeh: Saudi Arabia is the largest member of the Gulf Cooperation Council and has a great influence on other Arab countries in the region. Saudi Arabia, in its fragile internal political structure, is forced to establish relations with Israel. Today, Saudi Arabia has resorted to the United States and Israel to compensate for its weakness. Today, the culture of the Arab nations is such that they have become indifferent to the relationship with Israel, and their rulers behave in such a way that this culture seems normal.
At one time, Israel was the main enemy of Islamic and Arab countries, but it seems that the United States and its allies intend to consider Iran as the great enemy of Arab countries and countries in the region.
Today, the Saudi media, which has 100 active media networks with an annual turnover of ten billion dollars, is working hard against Iran and is trying to present Iran as an enemy of the Arabs in order to justify its relationship with Israel. Today, the ugliness of establishing relations with Israel in the Arab world has been broken.
This news is originally published by Shafaqna Persian and translated by Shafaqna English.