The Washington Post said that the war is on Gaza It constitutes a test of the newly developed relations between Israel and some Gulf Arab states, raising questions about the vision supported by the United States for a regional order that focuses on economic relations at the expense of political disputes and historical divisions.
The newspaper added – in an article – that while the war on Gaza is unlikely to lead to the severing of existing diplomatic relations, it has confounded the calculations of the Gulf powers that see Israel as a potential security partner and counterweight to Iran.
She pointed to the growing popular anger in the region over the war that claimed the lives of thousands of Palestinians and left most of the Gaza Strip in ruins.
The Washington Post said that the administration of US President Joe Biden was hoping to expand Normalization range In the region to include Saudi Arabia, but she explained that these plans are now on hold.
In this context, the newspaper highlighted statements made earlier this month by the former Saudi ambassador to Washington, Turki Al-Faisal, at a forum organized by the International Institute for Strategic Studies in Bahrain, in which he said that the crisis in Gaza showed that regional peace efforts had failed to address the problem of the occupation of Palestinian territories. It is an “illusion”.
On the other hand, statements were made by officials in two Gulf countries that maintain diplomatic relations with Israel, the UAE and Bahrain, in which they defended the continuation of these relations.
Popular anger
The Washington Post noted the growing public anger in the region due to the war launched by Israel in Gaza.
In this context, she referred to some protests denouncing the Israeli war on Gaza, especially in Bahrain.
The newspaper also said that the popular boycott movement against Western brands has gained support in the Gulf and throughout the Arab world.
She added that as public anger increased, Israeli companies in the Gulf hid outside trade fairs, noting that they were withdrawing advertisements and reducing the number of official delegations.
The Washington Post said that because of the war on Gaza, some in the region have become uncomfortable in dealing with Israeli companies.