Gaza conflict will not affect Israel’s relations with Arab states, an analyst & ex-military official claims

Jerusalem: Media in the United States and the Middle East had claimed that ‘The conflict between Israel and the terrorist organisations from Gaza will have a direct impact on the Abraham agreement signed between Israel and the Arab countries. As a result, the cooperation between Israel and the Arab countries will end.’ However, Brigadier General Dr Meir Elran, retired Israeli military official, stated that ‘There is no basis to the claims that the Abraham Accord will end because of the Israel-Hamas conflict. This conflict will not affect the cooperation with the countries participating in the agreement.’

A major conflict was sparked between the Israeli military and Hamas from the Gaza Strip. Repercussions of the strife were felt in the emergency meeting held by the ‘Organisation of Islamic Cooperation’ (OIC). Leaders from Iran, Turkey, Pakistan and Malaysia held Israel responsible for the conflict. At the same time, Iran and Turkey accused the countries of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan, which are cooperating with Israel, of being equally responsible for the conflict.

Last year, Israel signed the Abraham Accord with the UAE, Bahrain and two other Arab countries, with mediation from then US President Donald Trump. Iran and Turkey demanded the Arab countries withdraw from the Abraham agreement after Israel attacked Gaza. A leading US newspaper and a well known Middle Eastern news channel had also targeted the deal. Also, they claimed that the agreement would not last as a result of the conflict.

Brigadier General Dr Meir Elran, former head of the Homeland Security Programme and a co-head of the think tank ‘Institute for National Security Studies (INSS)’, presented his inferences regarding the Abraham accord and the Gaza conflict. Brigadier General Elran said that the claims made by Iran and Turkey, relating the Israel-Hamas conflict and the Abraham agreement, are entirely baseless. At the same time, by stating that the battle will not affect the Abraham agreement, Erlan blamed the US and Middle Eastern media for making wrong assessments.

The Abraham Accords are the agreements for cooperation between Israel and the Arab countries. Dr Elran assured that ‘The agreement is beneficial to the two sides. They will withstand this crisis, and their relations will be sustained, kept, and [they will] flourish.’ On the contrary, Dr Elran said, ‘The Arab countries participating in the Abraham agreement could come forward to call on Hamas for a ceasefire. For this, assistance can be sought from Arab countries like Jordan and Egypt.’

Brigadier General Dr Elran also accused Hamas of launching rocket attacks on Israel for political gains. Erlan went on to say that Hamas launched the attacks to take political advantage of the riots that broke out in the Sheikh Jarah region of Jerusalem two weeks ago.

The Russian media seem to agree with the views expressed by Dr Elran regarding the Gaza conflict and the Abraham agreement. Besides, the Russian news agencies have brought to attention that the Hamas attacks on Israel are, in fact, being criticised from within the Arab countries.

Last week, the UAE had warned Hamas to stop the rocket attacks on Israel. As it threatened Hamas, the UAE said, ‘The rocket attacks were adding to the instability in the Middle East. If the attacks are not stopped, the UAE will withhold all the investment in the infrastructure projects in Gaza’. A senior UAE official gave the information to an Israeli newspaper on condition of anonymity.

Religious leaders and the people of the UAE have criticised the Hamas attacks on social media. A religious leader from the UAE made vitriolic criticism and said on social media that ‘Hamas is attacking Israel by using Palestinians as a human shield. It has made the Gaza Strip a graveyard of Palestinian children. Moreover, Hamas threatened the security of Egypt and Sinai and burnt the flags of Arab countries. It does not even have respect for the Palestinian children and the old.’

Apart from that, trends like ‘No to Terrorism’ and ‘Palestine is Not My Cause’ against Hamas had gone viral on social media in the UAE, Bahrain and Kuwait. By citing these references, the former Israeli military official and the Russian media claim that the Abraham Accords are secure.