The normalisation of UAE-Israel ties will likely benefit India’s interests in the Middle East for now, but balancing relations with both Israel and Palestine will remain a challenge for the country in the long term, Don McLain Gill writes.
On 13 August, United States President Donald Trump announced that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Israel have agreed to establish normal diplomatic relations in a development that will put on hold Israel’s efforts to annex parts of the West Bank.
The following day, UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan called Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar to brief him about his country establishing ties with Israel. The minister expressed his appreciation for the call, and this significant move between the UAE and Israel serves as a positive sign for India and its strategic interests in the Middle East. However, challenges may still arise for the country.
It is simple to see the potential benefits of this move for India. Israel and India have enjoyed close relations in recent years, and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also been able to cultivate strong relations with the UAE. With the two states normalising relations, the diplomatic environment in the Middle East will likely become more favourable for India.
According to Navdeep Suri, India’s former envoy to the UAE, “[India has] excellent ties with both Israel and UAE, so the normalisation of ties between them is good news for India. It opens the way for meaningful cooperation in several areas of mutual interest ranging from conservation of water resources and promoting food security to joining hands in the fight against terrorism.”
Read the article by Don McLain Gill in Policy Forum.