Nothing happens out of a sudden in international politics; everything has introductions.

The latest Emirati step towards normalization with the occupying Israeli state was not the result of an instant decision. The signed agreement between the two parties revealed what was hidden in the same way it revealed the utmost level of humiliation the Gulf state policy was disgraced with, contrary to a public and direct opposing popular will.

In Bahrain, the Gulf state that was immediately said to be joining the UAE in this humiliating move, whether in the very short, short or even long run, there are people who reject this normalization path, noting that both Shia and Sunni sects alike  showed a unified stance in this regard. Since the people unfortunately have only a formal representation in a weak legislative authority that is supposed to represent their true will rather than the will of the palace, their voice is stifled and their freedom to express their opinion is suppressed. However, the will of the Royal Court is stronger and its voice in the house of the representatives of the people in both of the chambers is louder.

This is not new or strange, as the opinion of the people has always been far from the authority which is unilateral in its decision. At the same time, there has always been a division within the power itself, i.e. the ruling family and its conflicting wings, as a number of hardliners in the state are moving towards rapid normalization, in the face of a number of conservatives. Perhaps the rumored refusal of the Prime Minister "the King's uncle" to normalize is an example, although the first steps of normalization in fact began under his reign and under his strong power when Yossi Sarid, former Israeli environment minister of Yitzhak Rabin's government, visited the Bahraini capital, Manama, heading a large official diplomatic delegation to participate in regional discussions on environmental issues, under the pretext that the visit was part of the multilateral peace process that began after the Madrid Conference in 1990. 

Certainly, the normalization of the notion of "normalization" in the Arab and Gulf mind has gone through several stages based on a number of false reasons and justifications, coinciding with the Coronavirus pandemic, like the production of an Israeli vaccine for the Coronavirus, which is popularly rejected in the Gulf. Gulf peoples reject the idea of the occupying state becoming a source of their medicine and food.

This comes in addition to preparing for other possible military and security agreements with them in the future, under the ready possible pretext of confronting what they consider another strategic enemy, Iran. Therefore, today, the Israeli occupation state is presented as being in direct confrontation with Iran, and the threads of rapprochement and reconciliation with it are being depicted as a safer and less dangerous alternative, which goes in line with what Kushner- the American Godfather- is plotting. Recent Iranian statements can; therefore, be noted to indicate the seriousness of the scene in relation to its security in the region as part of the axis of resistance. The gulf security cooperation with the Israeli occupier is not something hidden, as there have been reports that the Bahraini authorities have used Israeli services to spy on their opponents inside and outside Bahrain, which confirms the issue of cooperation between the security services, let alone the previous private and secret meetings with Bahraini officials. It should also be noted that Bahrain ended the secondary boycott of Israeli goods in 1994, and that the Government of Bahrain decided to cancel the initial boycott aiming at "promoting regional security and cooperation". In August 2006, the authorities closed the Israeli boycotting office, which went against popular opinion.

It is clear that the Government of Bahrain has been moving rapidly towards normalizing relations with the occupying authorities, especially after it was selected to promote the "Deal of the Century" on June 25, 2019 through what it called the "Peace for Prosperity Workshop with the aim of encouraging investment in Palestinian territories".

Perhaps the conclusion of this reveals a U.S. attempt at redrawing the geopolitical map in the region, which would be achieved by pushing towards more hostility with Iran, and more rapprochement with the Israeli occupying state. Perhaps it also reveals that the Gulf's  acquiescence comes out of fear of a future American proposal to leave the Gulf and move eastward, as well as the fear of the Gulf rulers themselves of the historical demand of the Gulf peoples for reform and democracy. Hence, they are heading towards a strategic ally that does not change with the change of governments and their heads, and adopts a hostile ideology against human rights, which is proven in Israel's daily treatment of the Palestinian people on its occupied territory. 

The effects of the US presidential race on today's arena cannot be overlooked, as U.S. President Donald Trump is running towards it for electoral gains, while Gulf governments are heading towards sabotaging the historic stance of Arab and Islamic countries that have been fighting since the beginning for the Palestinian cause, towards achieving a false and misguided will for the Palestinian people, in the framework of a big game in which they will only have roles of puppets.

*Ali Alaswad, Former Bahraini MP, opposition (Al-Wefaq)

Arabic Version