JERUSALEM - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu buoyantly approached the microphone, beaming at his diplomatic coup.At least since 2009, Mr Netanyahu had been insisting, against conventional wisdom, that Israel could build full diplomatic and trade relationships with Arab countries in the Middle East without settling the Palestinian conflict first.
When he sealed a deal to normalise relations with the United Arab Emirates this past week, it was not because he had suddenly become more persuasive. It became increasingly clear to the Gulf states that the Western allies they had relied on for decades to come to their rescue might not be there in a pinch.
Demographic changes in the Gulf states also reordered their priorities, forcing a focus on creating jobs for their young people more than standing up for the Palestinians. And Gulf leaders admired Israel's economy and tech sector. But analysts question whether many of the 19 Arab states that do not have ties with Israel will follow the Emirates' lead.
Israel had maintained secret links with Oman since the 1970s. In 1996, after the Oslo Accords, Israel opened diplomatic interest offices in Qatar, Oman, Morocco and Tunisia. They were later closed after violent clashes between Israel and the Palestinians. "There is an intersection of interests, not a small one, between us and many of the Arab states," Mr Meir Dagan, the Israeli Mossad chief from 2002 to 2011, said in an interview before his death in 2016.
He had long harboured a fascination with the Arab world, said Mr Dore Gold, a veteran diplomat and adviser to Mr Netanyahu. "No one wants weak allies," said an Israeli official who insisted on anonymity to speak candidly about sensitive diplomatic matters. "And I said, 'Don't give the key for that change to the Palestinians,'" Mr Amidror said."That was the essence of the argument between us and the Gulf countries. Why give the Palestinians the key?"For years, Israeli military censors had prevented reports on Israeli-Arab cooperation, fearing that they could spark demonstrations against the cooperating governments.
More recently, Israel bombed ISIS targets in Sinai to help Egypt. Saudi Arabia granted overflight rights to Air India for planes on the Delhi-Tel Aviv route. Mr Netanyahu visited Oman. And in February, he met with Sudan's de facto leader and opened a new air corridor that trimmed hours off Israeli flights to South America.
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