While Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and Sudan are normalizing relations with Israel, the Islamic Republic of Iran remains determined to obliterate Israel, as the Palestinian Arabs and their allies have vowed to do since the birth of the modern state of Israel in 1948. Although the Palestinians claim to want a “two-state” solution, a […]
A Terrible Idea: Selling F-35s to Qatar
The F-35 is an American Stealth fighter jet, considered to be top of the line, that has been sold only to close allies, including Israel. The United Arab Emirates has long desired to buy some F-35s; it began to express this desire six years ago, and now it looks as though the sale will at […]
The Trump Peace Deals Won’t End the Jihad Against Israel, But They Help
My latest at PJ Media: At the ceremony Tuesday on the South Lawn of the White House for the signing of peace deals between Israel, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates, President Trump declared: “We’re here this afternoon to change the course of history. After decades of division and conflict we mark the dawn of a […]
Bahraini Minister: Normalization Will Help Against Iran, But Palestinians Not Forgotten
Bahrain’s Interior Minister has explained that his country has not forgotten the Palestinians, but is determined, through its new ties to Israel, to strengthen Bahrain’s security against Iran. The story is here. The interior minister of Bahrain said on Monday that the normalization deal with Israel was not a disavowal of the Palestinians, but a […]
In Bahrain, Opposition to Normalization Unsurprisingly Greater Than In the UAE
While Emiratis have been enthusiastic about their government’s decision to normalize relations with Israel, and a dozen agreements to collaborate have already been announced, between Emirati and Israeli universities, research institutes, and businesses, in Bahrain the popular response has been different. The story is here. Bahraini citizens took to social media throughout the weekend to […]
Trump hails ‘dawn of a new Middle East’ as he presides over signing of UAE and Bahrain accords with Israel
These accords are based on pragmatic considerations, ignoring the Islamic imperative of jihad and its deeply ingrained anti-Semitism. As I have noted many, many times, what Islam teaches is one thing, and what any individual Muslim or Muslim group may do is quite another. In this case, the UAE and Bahrain have demonstrated that their […]
Bahrain Joins the ‘Circle of Peace’
Ever since the United Arab Emirates agreed to normalize relations with Israel, there has been excited speculation about which Arab country would be next, and how long it would take. Would it be Oman, where Prime Minister Netanyahu visited at the invitation of the late Sultan Qaboos in October 2018? Could it be Chad, whose […]
Imam of Great Mosque in Mecca Hints at Normalization with Israel
The imam of Mecca’s Grand Mosque has given a hint that Saudi Arabia may be moving toward normalization of ties with Israel. The story of his unusual sermon is here. The imam of Mecca’s Grand Mosque appeared to hint at normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia in a sermon delivered on Friday, September 4. Following […]
Arab League Turns Down Palestinian Draft Resolution
The Palestinians can feel the ground shift under their feet, as they begin to recognize how little they now count for in the Arab states. The story is here. The Arab League on September 9 refused to endorse a Palestinian draft resolution condemning the United Arab Emirates for its normalization agreement with Israel, a move […]
Suha Arafat Under Attack by the PA for Supporting the UAE
Suha Arafat, the widow of Yassir Arafat, has declared that she is under attack by the Palestinian Authority for having expressed her support for the move by the United Arab Emirates to “normalize relations with Israel.” Her story is here. The widow of late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat told an Israeli TV station that she […]