32 | DECEMBER 3 • 2020 

with Israel, it would jeopardize 
its security interests and leave 
itself exposed to the Iranian 
threat.
The normalization deals deliv-
er a message all-too-familiar to 
Palestinians: You’re on your own.
At present, it doesn’t seem 
like Israeli-Palestinian nego-
tiations will resume, Yaari 
predicts, “due to both Israeli 
and Palestinian leadership.” 
It is not inconceivable, how-
ever, that “when Abu Mazen 
[Palestinian President Mahmud 
Abbas] is replaced, and perhaps 
Netanyahu as well, there will be 
a breakthrough.”

SUDAN MOMENTUM
Trump announced in late 
October that Sudan would start 
normalizing ties with Israel 
after pledging that the African 
country would be removed from 
the terror list, as it agreed to 
put $335 million in an escrow 
account for compensating 
American victims of terror 
attacks.
The importance of the Israel-
Sudan normalization stems, in 
part, from the expansion from 
the Middle East outward to 
Africa, as well as the unique 
momentum, proving that the 
UAE wasn’t an isolated case, but 
a cornerstone potentially mark-
ing the beginning of a trend. 

FIGHTER JETS?
Predictably, the agreement was 
accepted with mixed emotions 
in the Arab world. But even in 
Israel and the U.S. the festive 
atmosphere was overshadowed 
by growing doubts — primar-
ily following the White House 
notification to Congress late 
October that it intends to sell 50 
Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter 
jets to the UAE, thus jeopardiz-
ing Israel’s military edge.
“The idea that we’re giving the 

exact same fighter jet to an Arab 
neighbor just makes me ner-
vous,
” said Michigan Democratic 
Rep. Elissa Slotkin, who is Jewish 
and previously worked at the 
Pentagon. “I support normal-
ization, but not at the expense 
of Israeli’s strategic national 
security.
”
But Israeli security sources 
later confirmed to local media 
that they were attempting to 
advance the purchase of F-22 
Raptor jets — currently the 
world’s most advanced fighter 
plane — from the U.S., so that 
the Israeli Air Force would pre-
serve its superiority in the region 
despite the deal.

WHAT’S NEXT?
Israeli Intelligence Minister 
Eli Cohen said implementing 
further normalization deals 
could depend on the next U.S. 
president displaying continued 
“resolve” against Iran, naming 
Qatar, Morocco and Niger as 
some of the potential next coun-
tries “on the agenda.
”
Behind closed doors, some 
Israeli security officials are allow-
ing themselves to ponder the 
possibility of normalizing rela-
tions with other Arab countries, 
like Oman, or — perhaps, one 
day — even Saudi Arabia.
Critics point out that cozy-
ing up to Saudi Arabia means 
getting in bed with one of the 
worst human rights abusers in 
the world. However, for such 
unprecedented normalization 
deal to take place, Israeli officials 
agree that a few crowns still need 
to change heads. For now, the 
near future for Israeli nationals 
looks more like an all-inclusive 
holiday in Dubai. 

Dana Regev is an Israeli-born jour-

nalist who reports on global affairs for 

Deutsche Welle in Germany and is a 

contributor to the Jewish News.

continued from page 30
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