Normalcy in UAE-Israel ties may trigger severe reaction

PESHAWAR: Normalization of relations between United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Israel followed by Bahrain and allegedly Oman is shocking and unprecedented development in the global political arena and it would cause severe reaction in the Muslim world. This was the crux of a daylong international webinar on “Israel Diplomatic Outreach to the Gulf Countries: Changing Political Calculus of the Muslim World.” The webinar was arranged by the Department of International Relations, University of Peshawar recently. Fourteen speakers participated in the conference wherein students from different disciplines and academic background were especially encouraged to take part. Dr Minhas Majeed Khan, chairperson, the department initiated the discussion with comprehensive welcome remarks.She shed light on the Arab-Israel imbroglio and the current situation. Chairman Council for Islamic Ideology Pakistan, Prof Dr Qibla Ayaz in his keynote remarks highlighted the historical perspectives of the Israel issue. He said the recent development in the Israel-Arab conflict carried immense importance.

It was like a revolution as Arab countries have started recognizing Israel. This would cause serious reaction from the Muslim world, Dr Qibla said. Prof Borto Wardoyo of International Security Studies at the Department of International Relations, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, University of Indonesia discussed the Indonesian perspective on Israel’s claim of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

He said that 80 per cent population of Indonesia is Muslim and majority of the population is concerned by the Palestinian cause on the basis of Muslim brotherhood while the government of Indonesia regards the occupation of Gaza Strip as colonialism. Prof. Wardoyo elaborated that in Indonesia, the Islamic groups have clashing viewpoints. Some regard the Israel-Palestine conflict as non-religious and advocate diplomatic relations with Israel-which resulted in tensions among various groups in the country.Prof Dr Nazir Hussain, Dean, FoSS Quaid-e-Azam University, said that the difference between Arab-Israel and Arab-Jewish relations must be noted. It was due to the disintegration of the Ottoman Empire that the Arab states were created and in 1948 that Israel came into existence, he said. The United Nations Resolution 181 in 1947 divided the former Palestinian mandate into Jewish and Muslim countries which was rejected by the Arab world and the Arab League.