(November 20, 2023 – Washington, DC) – The United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan will immediately withdraw from the Abraham Accords with Israel, joining peace treaty states Egypt and Jordan with all Military coordination should end. Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN) said in a statement today that it will step up cooperation with Israel in light of Israel’s ongoing war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip.
Arab countries that host U.S. military bases, such as Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, and Qatar, rely on the U.S. to supply weapons to or protect Israeli forces during the ongoing war with the Palestinians. They should publicly declare that they will not be allowed to use these bases. In Gaza.
Sarah Leigh Whitson, executive director of DAWN, said: “The United Arab Emirates and other signatories to the Abraham Accords allow Israel to wantonly bombard and massacre Palestinians without any repercussions for its position in the region. He should take responsibility for making people believe that.” “Continued compliance with the Abraham Accords shows that the UAE and other signatories to the agreement continue to support Israel and reward it with its commitment to economic and trade development and, most importantly, military coordination. ing.”
The Abraham Accords facilitate the establishment of full diplomatic relations and cooperation between Israel and Arab states in a variety of areas, including security and intelligence sharing.
On September 15, 2020, the UAE and Bahrain signed the Abraham Accords, normalizing diplomatic relations with Israel. The UAE agreement established formal diplomatic relations and laid the foundation for extensive commercial, security, and cultural ties. The Bahrain Agreement, signed on the same day, reflected these commitments. Sudan formalized the agreement on January 6, 2021, securing a $1.5 billion loan from the United States and the removal of its terrorist state designation. Morocco announced its decision to normalize diplomatic relations with Israel on December 10, 2020, and in addition, the United States recognized Morocco’s sovereignty over occupied Western Sahara.
Saudi Arabia has not signed the Abraham Accords, but has said it is considering normalizing relations with Israel in exchange for a bilateral security agreement with the United States. The media has extensively reported on Saudi Arabia’s behind-the-scenes diplomatic relations. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a secret visit to Saudi Arabia on November 22, 2020, and reportedly met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Reports of the visit received attention in Israeli media, but the Saudi foreign minister denied these reports, and Prime Minister Netanyahu himself did not comment on them.
Furthermore, the Arab states that are signatories to the Abraham Accords, as well as Egypt and Jordan, now appear to have established formal military cooperation and intelligence sharing with Israel. On January 15, 2021, the US transferred Israel from European Command to US Central Command, which has jurisdiction over the Middle East, to facilitate and “deepen” more direct military and operational cooperation between Israel and its Arab neighbors. . Israel’s addition to the Central Command will increase interoperability between Israel and Arab states, and any intelligence sharing will support Israel’s field operations.
Deepening Arab-Israeli military cooperation has been reinforced by the US-backed Middle East Air Defense Alliance (MEAD), a regional air defense network that includes Israel, and the newly created Negev Forum to further integrate Arab-Israeli security cooperation. It is also reflected in The idea is to form a regional alliance with Israel. ”
Recent military cooperation between Arab states and Israel highlights the deepening military ties in the region. In 2016, Egypt, Israel, and Jordan began an intelligence-sharing agreement, and just recently Egypt announced that it had warned Israeli officials about the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel 10 days before the attack. Israel has carried out hundreds of airstrikes in the Sinai Peninsula in support of Egypt’s war against insurgents there.
Since 2020, Israeli F-35 squadrons and American F-35s flying from the UAE’s Al Dhafra Air Base have conducted several joint air exercises called “Enduring Lightning.” In August 2021, Israel and the US 5th Fleet also conducted a joint naval exercise in the Red Sea, and in November 2021, the UAE, Bahrain, Israel and US Navy Central Command conducted a maritime security operations exercise in the Red Sea.
Israeli arms manufacturers have also significantly expanded their business with Arab countries, especially after the Abraham Accords. In 2022, Israel exported a record $12.556 billion of defense products to the UAE and Bahrain, accounting for almost a quarter of this business.
“The least the UAE and Egypt can do is end all military and intelligence cooperation with Israel,” said Adam Shapiro, DAWN’s advocacy director for Israel and Palestine. “These Arab countries shamefully continue to purchase Israeli weapons and collaborate with the Israeli military, while hiding behind the boldly worded Arab League resolutions.”
The Geneva Convention imposes an obligation on States to ensure respect for the Convention in all circumstances. This includes the responsibility to prevent and end violations of these treaties, not only in our own actions but also in our international relations. Continued military assistance to Israel violates these fundamental principles of international humanitarian law and raises serious legal and moral concerns. Arab states should critically assess their role and take active steps to end all forms of aid that could contribute to the perpetuation of atrocities in Gaza and the West Bank.