August 14, 2020
The Muslim World sees UAE-Israel diplomatic relations as betraying Palestinians
By Abdus Sattar Ghazali
The Muslim world was dismayed and saw the UAE-Israeli diplomatic relations as betraying the Palestine cause.
While Saudi Arabia, at present considered as leader of the Muslim World, remained silent and there was no reaction from the 22-member Arab League, there was sharp reaction from the major Muslim countries.
There was bitter criticism from Turkey, Iran and Malaysia.
Turkey, which has diplomatic and trade ties with Israel, is considering suspending diplomatic ties with the United Arab Emirates and withdrawing its ambassador over the Gulf state’s accord to normalize ties with Israel, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said after Friday prayers.
“The move against Palestine is not a step that can be stomached. Now, Palestine is either closing or withdrawing its embassy. The same thing is valid for us now,” Erdogan said, adding he gave orders to his foreign minister. “I told him we may also take a step in the direction of suspending diplomatic ties with the Abu Dhabi leadership or pulling back our ambassador.”
The Foreign Ministry had earlier said Palestinians were right to reject the deal in which the UAE betrayed their cause. “History and the conscience of the region’s peoples will not forget and never forgive this hypocritical behavior,” it said. “It is extremely worrying that the UAE should, with a unilateral action, try and do away with the (2002) Arab Peace Plan developed by the Arab League.”
Malaysia: While there was no official comment from the Malaysian government but Malaysia’s former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad on Friday warned it was a step backwards for peace and would divide the Muslim world into “warring factions”.
Mahathir told This Week in Asia the agreement would “divide the Muslim world into warring factions and in this, the Israelis will add fuel to the fire”.
“They will increase the ability of the contestants to fight each other and there will be no peace even between Muslim countries,” said Mahathir, 95, who had two stints as the premier of the Muslim-majority nation, his most recent one ending earlier this year.
“It bolsters the stand taken by Israel that Palestine belongs to Israel. Of course there will be a reaction from the Palestinians and those who are sympathetic towards the Palestinians. This will mean prolonging the war in the Middle East,” he said.
Iran: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani described the deal as a "huge mistake".
"The Emirate rulers think that if they approach America and the Zionist regime, their security will improve and their economy will grow," Rouhani said. "But this is totally wrong."
The Iranian leader said the UAE-Israel deal was a "betrayal of the Palestinian cause".
The Iranian foreign ministry denounced the deal as an act of "strategic stupidity from Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv".
"The oppressed people of Palestine and all the free nations of the world will never forgive the normalising of relations with the criminal Israeli occupation regime and the complicity in its crimes," a ministry statement said.
"This is stabbing the Palestinians in the back and will strengthen the regional unity against the Zionist regime."
Iran's Tasnim news agency said the deal between Israel and the UAE on normalizing ties was "shameful."
The agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates will not secure peace in the region, tweeted a special adviser on international affairs to the speaker of Iran's parliament.
"UAE's new approach for normalizing ties w/fake, criminal #Israel doesn't maintain peace & security, but serves ongoing Zionists' crimes," tweeted Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, also a former deputy foreign minister.
"Abu Dhabi's behavior has no justification, turning back on the Palestine cause. W/ that strategic mistake, #UAE will be engulfed in Zionism fire."
Pakistan on Friday said the historic UAE-Israel deal has “far-reaching implications” and its “approach” will be guided by Palestinian aspirations.
The Foreign Office (FO) in the statement said: “We have noted the Joint Statement announcing agreement of UAE and Israel to have full normalization of relations. This is a development with far-reaching implications.”
“Pakistan has an abiding commitment to the full realization of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, including the right to self-determination. Peace and stability in the Middle East region is also Pakistan’s key priority,” read the statement.
Reiterating Pakistan’s longstanding stance on the issue for a just, comprehensive and lasting peace in the region, the FO said, “Pakistan has consistently supported a two-state solution in accordance with the relevant UN and OIC resolutions as well as international law.”
“Pakistan’s approach will be guided by our evaluation of how Palestinians’ rights and aspirations are upheld and how regional peace, security and stability are preserved.”
Indonesian foreign ministry spokesman Teuku Faizasyah, when contacted by The Straits Times on Friday (Aug 14), said the ministry had "so far no comment" on the agreement. Presidential spokesman Fadjroel Rachman also declined to comment.
Mr Zuhairi Misrawi, a noted academic from Indonesia's largest Islamic organisation Nahdlatul Ulama, urged the Indonesian government to continue to help Palestine, in line with the country's constitution.
"Indonesians should respect the peace deal, but our commitment to helping Palestine will never fade away," Mr Zuhairi was quoted saying by liputan6.com. He told The Straits Times Indonesia should not accept the narrative offered by the US, Israel, and UAE.
Indonesia was the first country to recognize Palestinian independence after the declaration of the state of Palestine in Algeria, November 15, 1988.
In Indonesia, Nahdlatul Ulama – which claims more than 60 million followers – warned that Islamic radical groups “clearly hate this agreement”. “[These groups] may be provoked to launch terror attacks in Muslim countries, especially the Middle East,” said secretary general Yahya Staquf, a Muslim cleric.
Staquf said the Indonesian government held the view that “the phenomenon of the Israeli state is a phenomenon of colonialism”, and the majority of the people, whether they followed Islam or otherwise, shared the same view.
More than 90 per cent of Indonesia’s population of 270 million are Muslims, making it the world’s most populous Muslim nation.
Libya: The agreement is a form of betrayal, said a top Libyan official. Mohamed Amari Zayed, a member of the Libyan Presidential Council, told Al-Jazeera TV that "this is a betrayal of the UAE state that doesn't surprise. With its destructive role in Libya, Syria and Yemen, it is a natural result of the embargo imposed on Qatar, Palestine and the independent nations of the region."
Abdus Sattar Ghazali is the Chief Editor of the Journal of America (www.journalofamerica.net) email: asghazali2011 (@) gmail.com
The Journal of America Team:
Editor in chief:
Abdus Sattar Ghazali
Senior Editor:
Prof. Arthur Scott
Special Correspondent
Maryam Turab
Your donation
is tax deductable.
