Thursday’s announcement that Israel and the United Arab Emirates are embarking on talks to normalize relations contingent on Israel suspending any annexation of the West Bank is being championed as a victory across the political spectrum.
For those whose primary concern is demonization and delegitimization of Israel, this is a landmark moment demonstrating that Israel’s acceptance and integration into the wider region is only a matter of time and patience. For those who pin Israeli isolation on a Palestinian refusal to negotiate, this is a victory for the concept that relations with Israel should not be hung up on a Palestinian veto. For those who view annexation as a fatal threat to a two-state outcome to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and as fundamentally unjust to the Palestinians, removing annexation from the equation even temporarily is a welcome development.
