As tensions rise over Israel’s fight in Gaza, why a UAE official says Abraham Accords will endure

Jonathan Lord, director of the Middle East security program at the Center for a New American Security, noted that since the Accords were signed, the UAE has become Israel’s 16th largest trade partner.

“They signed a free trade agreement this year. Hundreds of thousands of Israeli tourists have traveled to the Emirates. Today, Emiratis go to sleep under the protection of not one, but two different Israeli air defense systems that protect the Emirates from Houthi missiles, along with US THAAD and Patriots,” Lord told Breaking Defense.

He added that for the UAE and Israel, the calculus is clear: the tectonic plates have shifted, and there’s no going back. The benefits that come to both nations from strategic cooperation eclipse the challenges of navigating the Israel-Palestinian conflict, especially with relatively little public outcry domestically.

“Additionally, UAE doesn’t have a large public constituency that’s animated by the conflict. It gives MBZ [UAE leader Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan] the ability to act boldly without fear of the public repercussions with which other regional leaders contend,” he said.

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