A good deal of credit for the breakthrough goes to Kuwait’s ruler, Emir Sheikh Nawaf. Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Ahmad Nasser al Sabah that “Based on Sheikh Nawaf’s proposal, it was agreed to open the airspace and land and sea borders between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the State of Qatar.” Al Sabah that Sheikh Nawaf had spoken with Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and Saudi Arabia’s crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman. According to AP,  â€œThe conversations ‘emphasized that everyone was keen on reunification,’ and would gather in Al-Ula to sign a statement that promises to ‘usher in a bright page of brotherly relations.’”

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By way of background, on June 5, 2017, the Arab quartet diplomatic relations with Doha and imposed a land, sea and air blockade based upon contested accusations that Qatar supported Islamist extremist groups. Saudi Arabia and Bahrain also objected to Qatar’s relations with Iran. As a result, with some exceptions, notably to allow Qataris into Saudi Arabia to perform the Islamic hajj pilgrimage, Qatar’s only land border has remained closed, thus denying the import of products ranging from food to medical supplies to construction materials.

The rift with Qatar also resulted in the separation of families, especially those who had intermarried on both sides of the border. In addition, Saudi Arabia prohibited Qatari planes from flying over its airspace, which forced its national airline to take longer and more costly routes. It has been that Qatar pays up to $100 million in annual fees to fly over Iran.

The Saudi decision to end the embargo is a major step forward, but it must be followed by additional initiatives by the other nations that had backed the boycott of Qatar. This was acknowledged by the UAE’s minister of state for foreign affairs, Anwar Gargash, who that while Abu Dhabi hopes to restore Gulf unity, “We have more work to do and we are in the right direction.”

Essentially, while ending the rift among the Gulf nations is important for the region, it also establishes new realities and opportunities for the Biden administration. It will enable the new administration to develop even closer relations with Qatar and set the tone for warmer than previously predicted relations with Saudi Arabia.

Beginning in 1992, Qatar has developed close military ties with the United States and is now the location of US Central Command’s Forward Headquarters and the Combined Air Operations Center. Qatar the strategically important Al Udeid Air Base, which is staffed by more than 10,000 American service personnel and strike force aircraft used in campaigns against the Islamic State. Improved US-Qatari relations will enable the two nations to build upon their efforts against terrorism. In fact, as the White House website points out, President Donald Trump Emir Tamim in January 2018 for efforts “to counter terrorism and extremism in all its forms.” Washington is also grateful to Doha for hosting a Taliban mission, thereby facilitating the Afghan peace talks. The Biden administration may also work with Qatar in at least four additional areas.

Following up on the UAE and Bahrain reaching normalization deals with Israel sets the stage for Qatar to play a larger role in pursuing Israeli-Palestinian peace. Qatar is quietly humanitarian support for Palestinians in Gaza, which helps in keeping that conflict more manageable and could enable Doha to serve as an intermediary to deal with the wider conflict.

Similarly, Qatar maintains good relations with both the United States and Iran. President-elect Biden and his top foreign policy officials have their hope that a new treaty can be worked out with Iran, one that builds on the nuclear pact negotiated by the Obama administration and then rejected by the Trump White House. Qatar is in a unique position to facilitate these diplomatic efforts. Significantly, Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif that he hopes reconciliation in the Gulf “contributes to the stability and political and economic development for all peoples of our region.”

Qatar has also expressed its support for a number of other top priorities enunciated by the Biden administration, including dealing aggressively with and distributing to get the COVID-19 pandemic under control. Improved Gulf relations can also help Saudi Arabia to build warmer ties with the Biden administration than might otherwise have been the case.

Joe Biden has called for a reevaluation of US relations with Riyadh during the Trump administration, which began when Donald Trump chose to visit Saudi Arabia as his first overseas destination as president and then extended to , a lax view of the war in Yemen and virtually Saudi leaders for their role in the murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018. In sum, while the final details of the deal that has been under discussion for several months is still in flux, it has the potential to shape a more positive agenda for the Biden administration.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect 51łÔšĎ’s editorial policy.

The post Saudi-Qatar Reconciliation Provides New Opportunities for the Biden Administration appeared first on 51łÔšĎ.

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In the English language, “normalization” is a nice-sounding word but, like most international agreements, it produces winners and losers. The Israel-Morocco agreement can best be seen as a win-lose-win-lose-win arrangement. This framework is helpful to understand the new pact.

Why Israel Wins

The first winner of the normalization agreement is obviously Israel. Another Arab-majority Muslim country has recognized its legitimacy. This will lead to increased trade and enhance Israel’s security. The deal includes the reopening of liaison offices in Tel Aviv and Rabat. They were closed in 2000 when low-level relations broke down after the outbreak of the Palestinian uprising. The deal also includes the eventual opening of embassies and the commencing of flights between the two countries.

In a televised address, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lyrical about the “warm relationship” between “the people of Morocco and the Jewish people.” He also Morocco’s King Mohammed VI “for taking this historic decision to bring a historic peace between us.” Jews have a presence in Morocco, home to has the largest Jewish community in the Arab world.

There are approximately 3,000 Jews in the country, down from the 200,000 who lived there before Israel’s establishment. Andre Azoulay, a Moroccan Jew, is an adviser to the king. Morocco opened a Jewish culture center earlier this year in Essaouira. The country has also made efforts to preserve Jewish sites. It is important to note that hundreds of thousands of Jewish Israelis are of Moroccan descent. This includes Miri Regev, a senior minister and close ally of Netanyahu. She that Israeli-Moroccans had “dreamed of peace with the country in which they were born, and from where our cultural roots are so greatly derived.”

Like the rest of the Arab world, Morocco opposed Israel’s creation in 1948. Until now, Morocco did not recognize Israel. That said, the country maintained a clandestine relationship with Israel. For decades, Israeli Jews have been coming back to Morocco as tourists. In 1994, the country hosted Israeli delegates at the Middle East North Africa Economic Summit in , the first time Israel attended a regional conference hosted by an Arab country.

Israel’s agreement with Morocco fits Netanyahu’s doctrine of “” instead of “land for peace.” which had been the template for virtually all peace efforts until he came to power. Netanyahu is not opposed in principle to making peace with Israel’s enemies but he does support any Israeli withdrawal from the territories the country captured in 1967. With the Morocco deal, Netanyahu has scored another win for Israel and himself.

Why Others Lose or Win?

While Israel has won, the Palestinians have lost yet again. Although King Mohammed has that the “measures do not in any manner affect Morocco’s ongoing and sustained commitment to the just Palestinian cause,” Palestinian officials condemned the agreement. They have also objected to recent deals with the UAE, Bahrain and Sudan, saying these encourage Israel’s denial of Palestinian rights. Palestinians believe Arab states are reneging on their historic promise not to embrace ties with Israel until Palestinians achieve statehood. The normalization of ties also undermines their ability to negotiate directly with Israel.

Morocco also wins from the normalization of ties with Israel. Trade and tourism will bring much-needed economic benefits. In addition, the US has proposed a $1-billion . In an apparent quid pro quo for Morocco’s deal with Israel, US President Donald Trump Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara. He : “Morocco’s serious, credible, and realistic autonomy proposal is the ONLY basis for a just and lasting solution for enduring peace and prosperity!”

Western Sahara is a former Spanish colony largely controlled by Morocco. When Spain moved out in 1975, Morocco moved in. For many decades, an Algerian-backed pro-independence organization known as the Polisario Front has battled Moroccan troops. A 16-year-long insurgency led to a in 1991. It promised a referendum on self-determination that is yet to be held. 

Self-determination could be achieved in a number of different ways, including a vote on the type of autonomy granted to the territory. Too many confuse self-determination with independence. It is one of many potential options and outcomes. It is important to remember that the people living in Western Sahara could easily vote to remain in Morocco.

Morocco has consistently maintained that Western Sahara is an integral part of its territory. The country has lobbied hard in Washington to win favor for its 2006 autonomy . In 2016, the then-US Secretary of State John Kerry support for this initiative. This followed on from the support Morocco won from the US Congress. In April 2009, 233 members of the House of Representatives and, in March 2010, 54 senators sent letters of support for Morocco’s autonomy plan. 

In 2016, Morocco successfully the US Congress to give assistance to Western Sahara. The $1-million grant went to a civil society and local governance program, giving de facto recognition to Morocco’s claim on Western Sahara. Now, the US has become the first country to officially recognize that claim. 

As Morocco has won, the Polisario Front has lost. The rebel movement was seeking to establish an independent state and “regrets highly” the US decision to recognize Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara. Oubi Bchraya, the Polisario’s representative in Europe, has rallied the flag of revolt by the change in US policy “will not change an inch of the reality of the conflict and the right of the people of Western Sahara to self-determination.” Yet it is clear that prospects for self-determination and independence have receded. As a result, Algeria has also ended up on the losing side as the chief backer of the Polisario Front.

The Israel-Morocco deal is a win not only for the lame-duck Trump administration, but also for American foreign policy. Morocco was the first country to recognize US independence as early as 1777. It also became the first to sign a treaty with the young nation in 1786. The US and Israel have had close relations since Harry Truman’s administration recognized Israel on May 14, 1948, the very first day of its existence. Two American friends coming together has boosted US interests in the Middle East and North Africa region.

When Joe Biden moves into the White House, this deal will stick. He will move away from Trump’s “America First” foreign policy but he will not renege on deals with old allies. On the campaign trail, Biden the signed by Israel, Bahrain and the UAE. He is likely to do the same with the Israel-Morocco deal.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect 51łÔšĎ’s editorial policy.

The post The Winners and Losers of Israel’s Normalization Deal With Morocco appeared first on 51łÔšĎ.

The best expression of Biden’s beliefs can be found in his at the Copenhagen Democracy Summit on June 22, 2018. He argued that “democracy can be messy and inefficient” but, “when everyone gets a say” and “when citizens are empowered to hold their leaders to account,” then “innovation and creativity and new ideas succeed.” As per Biden, this is “why democracies outperform autocracies” and that, as “citizens, it is our duty to defend our democratic values and freedoms.” He concluded his speech with a stirring call: “If we do not stand up for our democratic values, and our democratic future — no one else will.”

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It seems that Joe Biden’s commitment to democracy has been noticed elsewhere. On November 3, the day Biden appeared to be set to become the 46^th US president, Qatar announced a major move toward democratization. In his address to the opening session of the Shura Council, Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani proclaimed that the Gulf state would hold for its advisory body in October 2021. The Emir declared: “This is an important step towards strengthening Qatari advisory traditions and developing the legislative process with wider citizen participation.”

This move is important not only for Qatar and the region, but also the United States and the rest of the world. Qatar hosts the , which is the largest American military base in the Middle East. It serves as a logistics, command and basing hub for US operations in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere in the region. Doha wields tremendous soft power around the world, especially in Arab and Muslim countries, because of the Al Jazeera news network. The country’s democratization could act as an exemplar to other states and would be good news for the US.

Currently, all 45 members of the Shura Council are selected by Qatari rulers. By October 2021, 30 of the 45 members of the council will be elected by the public. After the elections, the council’s power is expected to be expanded in accordance with the constitution. Among other things, it would have the power to dismiss ministers, approve the national budget and propose legislation.

The emir’s speech generated intense interest among Qataris and others in the Gulf region. It provoked a lively debate on the meaning of democracy and its processes. Many noted that the elections are likely to receive great international attention because they will take place shortly before Qatar hosts the 2022 World Cup. The elections will change the political life of the country. They may also impact other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, especially if they are tempted to follow Qatar’s lead.

At first glance, the emir’s comments appeared to be relatively spontaneous. In reality, the elections have been planned for nearly two decades. Qatar’s 2004 provided for elections as well as greater power for the Shura Council. Since Sheikh Tamim came to power in 2013, Qatar has undergone several reforms, from improved workers’ rights to greater representation of women. Last year, Sheikh Tamim set the wheels in motion by creating a committee to organize the election process. 

Qatar is now all set for its first national elections. In the past, Qataris have cast ballots on constitutional reforms and voted for municipal councils. The announcement of elections to the Shura Council is a great step forward for democracy not only in the country, but also the region.

The announcement has won international praise. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has welcomed the new “inclusive, participatory measures.” At a time when worries about the health of democracy abound, Qatar offers hope. The move toward elections in 2021 will increase citizen public participation, include women in political positions and give greater powers to elected leaders.

Importantly, Sheikh Tamim has put his country in the good books of the incoming Biden administration. In geopolitical terms, the emir is valuable because he strongly supports international counterterrorism efforts. He also promotes free speech in the region through Al Jazeera, which has won much respect for its high-quality coverage. Now, Qatar has embraced a democratic future and become more of a natural American ally as a president who champions democratic values enters the White House.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect 51łÔšĎ’s editorial policy.

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