Israel and its Arab Neighbors: How Conflicts Reshape Relationships | Today’s news
In September, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met secretly with Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The meeting took place against the backdrop of Tel Aviv’s strained relations with several Arab countries over the military offensive in Gaza and subsequent actions in Lebanon.
The meeting between Netanyahu and MBZ now raises questions about Israel’s ties with its Arab neighbors, especially as we approach the third anniversary of the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. After the Hamas attack, the war that followed caused widespread destruction in Gaza and affected Israel’s relations not only with its Arab neighbors but also with other countries.
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A look at Israel’s relations with its Arab neighbors after the October 7 attack
Countries that have diplomatic relations with Israel
1. UAE: The latest meeting between Netanyahu and MBZ reportedly focused on bilateral relations, with Abu Dhabi first acknowledging the meeting on Monday, September 28.
According to a recent statement, the UAE government said after the meeting that the two sides have maintained open and direct lines of communication since the beginning of the relationship in 2020. The statement added that whenever necessary, all relevant intelligence has been and will continue to be shared between the relevant entities.
In 2020, the United Arab Emirates surprised many Arab states by agreeing to normalize relations with Tel Aviv as part of US President Donald Trump’s “Abraham Accords,” according to a Reuters report. The agreement allowed the UAE and Israel to strengthen cooperation in dealing with what they both saw as security threats from Shiite Iran and Sunni Islamist groups. Normalization was also intended to support efforts to create a Palestinian state, a goal that came under pressure after the Gaza war.
2. Egypt: Egypt and Israel fought wars in 1948, 1956, 1967 and 1973, but the two sides concluded the first peace agreement between Israel and its Arab neighbor in 1978 at Camp David.
According to a Reuters report, while Tel Aviv and Cairo cooperate on oil and gas, they have little other business. However, ties have been strained since the war in Gaza. In December last year, Badr Abdelatty, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Immigration and Egyptian Expatriate Affairs, stressed that any displacement of Palestinians remains a “red line” for Egypt, adding that the Rafah crossing will not be used to facilitate any forced or voluntary displacement plan. According to him, Egypt will not participate in or support such efforts.
Read also | Israel Attacks Hamas, Stops Aid After Deadly Rafah Attack Kills 2 IDF Soldiers
3. Jordan: Jordan, like Egypt, has had a peace agreement with Israel since 1994 and is the Arab state with the closest ties to the Palestinians. But anger over Tel Aviv’s treatment of Palestinians has spread in Jordan and been exacerbated by the war in Gaza.
4. Bahrain: Bahrain normalized relations with Israel after the United Arab Emirates and the two maintain formal diplomatic relations under the 2020 Abraham Accords.
Countries that do not have diplomatic relations with Israel
5. Saudi Arabia: While Saudi Arabia has always presented itself as a supporter of the Palestinian cause, it has kept the door open to future relations with Israel. In 2000, it rallied other Arab countries behind the Arab Peace Initiative, which proposed full diplomatic normalization with Israel in exchange for the establishment of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital and a solution to the Palestinian refugee issue.
In August, in a joint statement with the foreign ministers of the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey and Egypt, Riyadh condemned Israel’s continued illegal settlement policy in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and rejected the “E1” settlement plan and related settlement activities east of occupied East Jerusalem.
While there appear to be no diplomatic ties between the two sides, in September Israel signaled that it was ready to take action against the Iran-backed Houthis and support Saudi Arabia, but the kingdom has not indicated any intention to ask Tel Aviv for help.
6. Oman: According to The Israel Times, Oman does not have diplomatic relations with Israel. While the two countries once maintained trade relations, those ties were strained in the 2000s and eventually severed as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict worsened.
However, contacts between the two countries quietly continued later, when Netanyahu visited Oman in 2018 for a rare public meeting; since 2026, relations have not been restored to normal, especially after the October 7 attack and Tel Aviv’s actions in Gaza.
Read also | Israel Was Warned of Oct. 7 Attack, Gallant Says: What Did Netanyahu Know?
7. Syria: Syria does not have diplomatic relations or a peace treaty with Israel, and both are at war. During the 1967 war, Israel seized a large part of the Syrian Golan Heights. Under the rule of the Assad family, relations between Damascus and Tel Aviv entered a period of open hostility. In early August, Reuters reported that the two sides were holding talks brokered by the United States to ease tensions.
8. Lebanon: Lebanon has no diplomatic relations with Israel. Ties between Beirut and Tel Aviv have been strained in recent years by the war in Gaza and the latest military campaign launched this year by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) against Hezbollah, a group backed by Iran.
9. Iraq: In 2022, Iraq passed a law that criminalizes relations with Israel, making violations of the law punishable by the death penalty or life imprisonment. According to an Al Jazeera report, Iraq has never recognized Israel and the two countries have no diplomatic ties.
10. Yemen: Israel does not have diplomatic relations with Yemen. Ties have been particularly hostile since the Gaza war, when the Iran-backed Houthis have launched drones and missiles at Israel and attacked ships in the Red Sea. Israel responded with strikes on Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.
