The Israel-UAE Peace Deal’s Impact on the Region

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR: Can I just ask you just to sum up for us how and what this means to you and the Persian Gulf region there? What material change will happen in the wake of this formalizing of your relationship with Israel?

ANWAR GARGASH, UAE MINISTER OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS: Good evening, Christiane. I think this is a very historical breakthrough, and I would sum it up that three things are being achieved. I think on the one hand, we have been able, through suspending annexation, to diffuse a bomb that was threatening the two-state solution. It’s not really resolving the Palestinian/Israeli issue, but it is buying time in order for a resumption of these negotiations and to see the two-state solution. Because the history of this crisis clearly shows that effects on the ground change possibilities. So, I think we should really not lose this opportunity because we’ve been very good at losing opportunities in our region. I think the second thing is the deal clearly has a give and take. That’s really the teeth that we have gotten. The give that United Arab Emirates has given is normalization of relations with Israel. And here, I would say that this is a process that has started with inviting Israel to expo, Israel having a delegation in IRENA, which the removal energy organization. So, for us, this was really a matter of time. But we thought that if can actually get this suspension of annexation, then this would be a win-win situation. I think the third and last thing here is that this is truly a strategic shift. It’s a strategic shift of who? Clearly, 70 years of not communicating with Israel has led us nowhere. And I think we need to shift to a new method of doing things. And that method simply is we can disagree with you on political issues, but we can work together in nonpolitical issues, and I think this is the sort of model that we’ve been calling for. There has been soul searching and reviewing of this. But that is really the crux of the deal, Christiane.