As the UAE and Israel recognise each other, thanks to work done by the Trump Govt, how will India see this piece of news play out?

News that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Israel have decided to establish diplomatic ties with each other came as a bolt from the blue, given the long history of officially hostile relations between the Jewish State and Arab nations ever since the formation of Israel in 1948. While unofficial ties between the UAE and Israel have existed for some time, that Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan — referred to as MBZ — the Crown Prince of the UAE, has formulated a new foreign policy should not come as a surprise. It is said that MBZ is the most influential person in the Arabian peninsula and even Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin-Salman looks to him for advice. With the UAE declaring official peace with Israel, can Saudi Arabia be far behind? Ever since the Saudis allowed Air India to overfly their territory on flights between New Delhi and Tel Aviv, the ice that existed between large Arab nations and Israel has pretty much melted. There is, of course, another reason for this sudden bonhomie: Most Sunni Arab States and Israel have a common enemy, Iran. And Iran’s influence in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and even in Palestine meant that old adage, “My enemy’s enemy is my friend” came into play. Besides, the Saudis, with limited potential of the oil economy and Turkey’s challenge as a leader of the neo-Islamic world, are looking to stay relevant.

So what does this mean for India, which has shared a surprisingly strong relationship, entrenched in agricultural and military cooperation with Israel, and our historical trading and personal ties with the UAE? One assumes that officials at the Ministry of External Affairs would be mighty pleased, more so given the recent meltdown of ties between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. That said, given the unofficial cooperation between the UAE and Israel, this was only a matter of time. And with the Arabian peninsula and the Levant currently wracked in conflict, from Syria to Yemen, this formalisation of ties will allow for better intelligence and military cooperation. For US President Donald Trump, this means more progress towards his goal of a peaceful Middle East. While many might try to find the method in Trump’s apparent madness, there is no doubt that it can be surprising because it can work.