Israel’s stunt?

To what extent PM Netanyahu is willing to sign on the dotted lines of a ‘Two-State Solution’ is hard to guess

Israel, it seems, is making inroads in the Muslim fraternity. Though not sure of the Zionist state’s shenanigans, vibes nonetheless suggest that it is pursuing some tactful diplomacy to win acknowledgment from the comity of Arab and Muslim states. Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen’s utterance that “six or seven” Muslim countries are in line of conformity, and might go on to normalise ties with the Jewish dispensation is news for all. Perhaps, he has rested his claim on the buoyed activity that is happening these days between Tel Aviv and Riyadh, as Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman cherishes a permanent solution to the imbroglio of Palestine, as a quid pro quo for his kingdom’s nod for congeniality. This is a momentous development, and the ball is surely in Israel’s court to reciprocate in all sincerity and come forward with a land for peace deal with the stateless Palestinians.

As a follow-up to the Abraham Accords, and restoration of diplomatic ties by the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu took the leap forward as he pronounced at the UN General Assembly that Tel Aviv is “on the cusp” of normalising ties with Saudi Arabia. Perhaps, there are few more centrifugal forces that are galvanising this initiative, and one of them is the upcoming presidential election in the US. President Biden is eager to strike a jackpot in diplomacy by not only securing its strategic ally in the region, but by also wooing the Arab states, especially after a landmark deal brokered by China between the Saudis and Iran.

But Netanyahu is difficult to be believed. To what extent he is willing to sign on the dotted lines of a ‘Two-State Solution’ is hard to guess. His words at UNGA that, “I am willing to consider benefits to the Palestinians -- without jeopardising the peace of Israel” are nothing but a politically disguised statement in exigency. If that is the case then not much can be expected as a breakthrough. The Saudis are clear as they will only budge if they see formation of an independent Palestinian state. Anything less than that is a mirage.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 25^th, 2023.

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