Israel ties could fundamentally change Gulf structures
Thursday, January 21, 2021
Significance
Bahrain also joined the ‘Abraham Accords’ in late 2020, while Sudan and Morocco promised to follow suit.
Impacts
- Oman will likely keep its existing good but informal Israel ties; Qatar may in due course decide to formalise links.
- Kuwait is the least likely Gulf state to join, given its tradition of offering refuge to Palestinians and strong public support for them.
- Further success for right-wing parties in Israel hostile to Arabs could unsettle Gulf leaders who have agreed to normalisation.
- Turkey, facing hostility from a new bloc comprising Israel, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, might decide to seek reconciliation.