Videos > Israel Matters #11: The UAE - Israel Peace Deal! Israel Matters #11: The UAE - Israel Peace Deal! Pesach Wolicki 194 views • 6 likes • 2 comments 6 years ago • 37:33 min
Transcript [00:01] welcome back to israel matters [00:03] and this has been a very very big few [00:06] days [00:07] for israel and for everyone who cares [00:11] about israel i'm [00:12] i'm rabbi pesachwalicki i'm back here [00:14] again of course with [00:15] elliot chodof how you doing elliott i'm [00:17] good how are you pesa [00:19] oh i'm doing great i'm doing great and [00:20] there's a lot to think about a lot to [00:22] talk about [00:23] uh we are going to dispense just today [00:27] with the scriptural message that we [00:29] usually begin [00:30] our discussions with because we want to [00:33] leave [00:33] as much time as possible to talk about [00:36] the groundbreaking [00:37] news which has some parts of it that are [00:40] a little confusing to people [00:43] what did israel concede if anything [00:46] are there any is there a catch there's a [00:48] lot that there's a lot that has to be [00:50] unpacked here [00:51] but what we know the big news is of [00:53] course that you [00:54] that the united arab emirates one of the [00:56] very powerful gulf states [00:59] and as i have to say honestly as a jew [01:02] who lives in israel and i'm involved [01:04] in i live in the middle east and i think [01:06] about israel [01:07] i know a lot about israel's immediate [01:09] neighbors i don't know as much about [01:11] about [01:12] the players in the gulf and maybe we [01:13] need to familiarize ourselves with them [01:15] as well [01:15] but the big news of course is that [01:17] israel and the uae have [01:19] formalized relations uh and [01:22] this has been a relationship that's been [01:23] building for the last number of years [01:26] and they've formalized relations and [01:28] this is going to include an ex [01:29] not only on the diplomatic level but [01:32] uh commerce travel all kinds of uh [01:36] scientific cooperation lots of things [01:38] are in the offing [01:40] and uh and this was brokered by the [01:43] trump administration as we understand it [01:46] i think it's it's a real game changer [01:47] i'll just give my own amateurish [01:49] commentary and then throw it over to you [01:51] as someone who has you know i'm 50 years [01:53] old and i've grown up in the era of [01:55] various peace things i was a child [01:58] when uh when camp david happened and [02:02] lived through various wars and of course [02:04] oslo and everything else that followed [02:06] and the jordanian deal [02:08] and living through the impact of our [02:11] relationship with egypt [02:13] in all of its uh phases it seems to me [02:16] that [02:16] this is the first what i would call [02:18] actual peace [02:20] with an arab with an arab nation what i [02:22] mean by that just again [02:24] speaking kind of amateurish is that our [02:27] other peace deals were kind of [02:28] negotiated [02:31] ceasefires or negotiated non-aggression [02:34] pacts where we [02:35] we're conceding something and everyone's [02:37] agreeing to play by certain rules [02:39] and this is really the first one that [02:40] feels like hey we got no beef with each [02:43] other there's a lot that we could do if [02:44] we're friends [02:45] let's just formalize the friendship that [02:48] that's how i'm reading it [02:49] and it seems to me like there really is [02:51] a new day dawning for us [02:53] so what are your thoughts elliot take it [02:54] from there all right [02:56] um first of all the the whole [03:00] concept of a peace deal or not a peace [03:02] deal i i think [03:04] is um it's an error in in [03:07] framing because [03:11] with our first two egypt and jordan [03:14] uh we didn't really make peace because [03:16] we weren't really at war [03:19] you can't be at war with a country that [03:20] doesn't exist and and [03:22] the the key move of both of those was [03:26] that they normalized relations with us [03:28] very similar to what this [03:29] is in the sense that [03:33] um when egypt went to war with us it was [03:35] against the non-entity there was [03:38] israel didn't exist as far as they were [03:41] concerned hence [03:42] after the yom kippur war uh [03:46] much of the diplomacy was was shuttle on [03:48] the battlefield that was meeting at the [03:51] 101 kilometer marker from cairo but [03:54] there as well as with with syria the [03:56] ultimate negotiations were done [03:58] using kissinger as the go-between [04:01] because they wouldn't sit with us [04:05] so the great sort of breakthrough if you [04:08] will [04:09] was when sadat came to israel [04:12] and significantly to jerusalem and i [04:14] just i think it's an important decide [04:17] um when the trump administration [04:18] recognized jerusalem as israel's capital [04:21] egypt was silent because egypt had [04:23] recognized jerusalem as israel's capital [04:25] in 1977. [04:28] said that spoke in the knesset uh [04:31] significantly [04:32] barack obama never spoke in the knesset [04:35] because that would have been [04:36] open recognition on his part that [04:38] jerusalem was israel's capital [04:41] okay so the egyptians did that and [04:45] sadat said those famous words no more [04:47] war and peace actually [04:49] broke out if you will when he said it [04:53] it took two years to work out the [04:54] agreement [04:56] okay the jordanian issue is a little bit [04:58] more complex because we had all sorts of [05:00] quiet relations with them [05:01] going back to 1970 when we supported [05:04] them in the [05:05] in their civil war and after the syrian [05:07] invasion [05:08] but still the formalization meant they [05:11] recognized our existence and [05:13] opened relations with us and in both [05:15] cases both of those [05:16] in both of those eliot we actually [05:20] like gave something tangible correct [05:23] them absolutely absolutely they wanted [05:26] something very specific [05:29] but ultimately what it meant was we have [05:31] borders with those two countries [05:33] because we have agreed upon lines with [05:35] them [05:36] and here you're absolutely correct now [05:39] we've got something very different [05:41] we have an arab country [05:45] that does not share a border with us has [05:48] no territorial claim [05:51] one way or the other because it can't [05:53] it's [05:54] a long way off and they are very [05:58] interested in having an open [06:01] relationship because the truth is [06:03] we've had a quiet relationship for a [06:04] while with them and with others [06:07] uh all of a sudden it becomes important [06:10] now now let's unpack it [06:11] for a moment and first of all let's [06:14] let's start with what is real [06:16] paid if you will um in trading off i [06:20] think that's [06:20] that's really one of the more [06:22] interesting parts because [06:23] in fact israel gave away nothing [06:27] uh there's all the talk about well [06:28] israel was going to extend sovereignty [06:31] and now it's [06:32] suspended the but the fact is [06:35] what we basically agreed to is not to do [06:39] something that we hadn't even thought [06:40] about doing a year ago [06:44] the whole idea of extending sovereignty [06:46] was created by the trump [06:48] deal of the century that the [06:50] palestinians rejected [06:51] and we said okay we're going to go ahead [06:53] and extend sovereignty [06:55] to those areas in judea and samaria that [06:58] we're not going to give away anyway [07:00] under any negotiations [07:02] now that's something of a concession but [07:06] let's be serious [07:07] it's not even a concession of something [07:10] concrete it's a consent [07:11] a concession of not doing something [07:14] that we were talking about doing now if [07:17] you add to that the fact [07:19] that between us you me and the [07:22] people who watch this sovereignty [07:25] doesn't really mean a lot [07:26] especially in this part of the world [07:29] i've spoken to a [07:30] good friend of mine this morning um [07:33] and friend and colleague and [07:37] he said you know when people ask me [07:39] where israel's borders are i tell them [07:40] where we park our tanks [07:45] you know it's interesting that you say [07:46] that that the sovereignty didn't really [07:48] mean very much [07:49] because um and he [07:52] will just let everyone watching this [07:54] know that uh [07:56] you and i i'm talking to everyone [07:58] watching we have had [07:59] we've spoken about the since [08:02] in the few months that we've been doing [08:04] these videos we've spoken about the fact [08:06] that we haven't yet addressed the [08:07] sovereignty issue [08:09] right and people ask about it and [08:12] what's interesting is that a lot of [08:14] people [08:15] and we're both you know clearly [08:18] identified in the right wing camp [08:20] uh you know we're you know proudly so [08:23] i'm but i i'm not always identified in [08:25] the right-wing camp because when i say [08:26] stuff like what i just said the [08:27] right-wing calls me election [08:29] well that's exactly my point and i want [08:30] to i want to speak [08:32] very kind of you know very frankly very [08:34] honestly to the people who watch this [08:36] you know many of whom are are christians [08:38] who love [08:39] israel and it's very important to [08:42] to state this clearly that there are [08:45] there's the reality on the ground and [08:47] then there's political reality [08:49] which is not really reality it's [08:51] something else [08:53] and the reality on the ground in terms [08:56] of [08:57] in terms of uh israel backing off on the [08:59] sovereignty issue is [09:01] is virtually unchanged there's very very [09:03] minuscule [09:04] legal uh details about [09:08] life in those areas that is different [09:10] but in terms [09:11] of israel's control of those areas in [09:14] terms of the jewish people having [09:16] returned to those areas [09:17] building our settlements expanding our [09:19] lives there there is really nothing [09:22] that has changed in this and it it [09:25] and it's interesting that there's a lot [09:26] of people who are our friends and our [09:28] compatriots politically [09:30] who are very upset about the the [09:32] dropping of this [09:33] of this dream of sovereignty and i think [09:35] that you and i [09:36] are both on the same page that it's like [09:38] well [09:40] you know where jews live and where [09:44] israel controls things remains the same [09:48] today [09:49] as it was yesterday and in fact i would [09:52] argue [09:53] that the weakening of the palestinian [09:56] and and anti-israel and bds and hamas [09:59] position [10:00] through this deal with the uae is a much [10:04] it gives israel a much stronger hold [10:08] in those very same areas than the [10:11] extension of sovereignty would have [10:13] i agree absolutely because again [10:16] we're talking about the difference [10:17] between declaration [10:19] and power exactly and let's also [10:23] understand that that [10:24] declaring sovereignty only has [10:27] real value if that declaration is [10:30] recognized [10:32] jordan declared sovereignty over what it [10:35] called the west bank [10:36] in the early 1950s that was recognized [10:39] by britain and pakistan [10:42] and it had no real legal standing [10:45] anywhere in the world [10:47] um it meant [10:50] nothing when we took that territory in [10:52] 1967 [10:55] and then they later gave up their claim [10:56] to it so that whole idea [10:59] is less about declaration and more about [11:02] recognition and here what's really [11:03] i think important is the united arab [11:06] emirates [11:07] and we'll come back to what that means [11:09] shortly [11:10] uh but the united arab emirates has [11:13] essentially [11:14] recognized our sovereignty over [11:15] everything else and that's [11:17] more important than the marginal [11:19] difference [11:21] good point that's a great way to put it [11:23] okay so [11:24] that recognition is is really important [11:26] now [11:27] having said that let's let's talk about [11:31] good and bad and where the goods and [11:33] bads are so let's start with who's [11:34] against it [11:36] the palestinians are against it the [11:38] iranians are against it [11:40] the turks are against it [11:44] how bad can it be [11:47] okay the radical anti-israel left is [11:50] against it [11:52] okay so far i've heard only positive [11:55] things [11:56] about this because if all of those think [11:59] it's a bad idea [12:01] there must be something good in it [12:06] what's interesting about the israeli [12:08] right [12:11] and its opposition is that the same [12:13] people who are opposing it [12:15] because of not declaring sovereignty [12:18] were against the declaration of [12:20] sovereignty as it was being formulated [12:22] a month ago [12:26] because netanyahu was talking about [12:28] extending sovereignty only to [12:30] again to those areas that we would [12:31] certainly not negotiate over [12:34] and they said no it's either all or [12:35] nothing [12:37] so don't do this so now he's saying okay [12:39] i won't do it [12:40] and they're condemning him for that as [12:41] well [12:43] elliot let's come back to a point that [12:46] that i [12:47] i alluded to and then you also just [12:48] reiterated [12:50] uh which is that the palestinians are [12:53] against this that the people who are [12:56] the bdsers and the israel haters uh you [12:58] know and and [12:59] are our immediate enemies and the people [13:02] who who [13:03] who scream at israel for apartheid and [13:06] for occupation [13:07] they're against this so could we just i [13:10] think it's clear to you and me that it [13:12] might be just some people watching can [13:13] we just explain that let's flesh that [13:14] out a little bit [13:16] how exactly does this deal harm them [13:18] because it does harm them [13:20] let's explain how exactly it weakens [13:23] their position [13:24] it harms them in the most basic sort of [13:26] way it strengthens israel [13:28] these are people who want to eliminate [13:30] israel [13:31] anything that strengthens israel harms [13:33] them [13:34] it's it's a very very simple zero-sun [13:36] game [13:37] look a lot of things strengthen israel [13:39] but i think the the nature of this [13:41] particular way of strengthening israel [13:44] let's talk about that it's coming from [13:45] the arab world all right so so how well [13:48] let's break it down how does it [13:50] strengthen israel so let [13:52] let's start with with in close and work [13:54] our way out [13:56] it first of all explodes the myth [14:00] that any agreement in the middle east [14:02] have to follow [14:03] a resolution of the conflict with the [14:05] palestinians [14:08] myth the united arab arab emirates aside [14:12] from the [14:13] sovereignty issue made no demands [14:15] whatsoever [14:16] not about negotiating it was sort of the [14:19] last line [14:20] you know hoping hope for the best [14:23] nothing about israeli building [14:24] intraday on samaria nothing about [14:26] infrastructure nothing about [14:28] law nothing about easing nothing about [14:31] the blockade of gaza none of it [14:34] now frankly the emirates are annoyed [14:36] with the palestinians [14:38] because they flew a couple of planes of [14:40] aid into israel [14:43] to be sent to gaza and because they [14:45] landed in israel [14:46] the palestinians refused to accept the [14:48] aid [14:49] and i think that was the final slap [14:53] to the emirates who basically said you [14:56] guys [14:56] you're like you're out to lunch uh if [14:59] you're if you're in such shape [15:01] that you're more willing to damage [15:03] yourselves over [15:05] trivia at that to realities [15:08] then get aid from us and be on [15:12] on our you know sort of paid package [15:14] list [15:15] then the heck with you who needs you so [15:19] this explodes that myth and especially [15:21] look bahrain [15:22] and oman are talking about following up [15:25] oman came out publicly in favor of the [15:28] agreement which [15:29] public statement of course egypt came [15:32] out in a [15:33] public statement approving it um [15:35] supporting it [15:36] so the palestinians are already finding [15:39] themselves [15:40] wait a minute wait a minute who's going [15:42] to help us [15:43] and the answer is the iranians and the [15:45] turks [15:46] so let's leave the turks for a moment [15:48] because they they've got their own [15:50] business the iranian issue is central [15:52] and i i think that's [15:54] something that that gets lost in the [15:56] discussion [15:57] uh but ever since you know going back [15:59] decades [16:00] couple of decades iran is essential is a [16:03] central threat to [16:04] israel's existence and by the way [16:08] since this also just happened the united [16:10] nations security council [16:13] did not voted yesterday [16:16] friday not to extend [16:19] the arms embargo on iran that's been in [16:22] place for decades [16:24] so in october iran can now legally buy [16:28] conventional weapons from [16:30] anybody who wants to sell it to them [16:32] that includes the russians the chinese [16:34] the [16:34] the europeans uh america [16:37] and the dominican republic voted to [16:40] extend [16:41] russia and china voted no and in order [16:44] for something to pass union majority so [16:46] it [16:47] looses on a tie and all of the europeans [16:50] in their usual [16:51] gutless fashion abstained [16:54] now to be fair it wouldn't made a [16:55] difference because the russians or the [16:56] chinese would have vetoed it was [16:58] it was an emotion to extend so it had to [17:00] be it's a positive [17:02] this is a a legacy of [17:06] the iran deal the obama administration [17:09] iran deal [17:10] which lifted the sanctions and called [17:12] for their ending in this october [17:14] otherwise it would have just continued [17:17] so we've got a real [17:18] iran issue facing us we know that stuff [17:22] has been going on we've talked about it [17:24] uh in our talks [17:27] take a look at the map and see where [17:29] united arab [17:30] emirates is relative to iran it's right [17:34] across the straits of hormuz [17:36] now there's no secret that they're [17:39] terrified of the iranians and [17:40] part of their suddenly [17:44] joining the zionist movement so to speak [17:48] is because of their theory of iran if [17:51] israel gets landing rights in the [17:54] emirates for [17:55] military operations we no longer need [17:58] mid-air refueling we know no longer need [18:02] long-range flights that can easily be [18:04] detected [18:06] planes can carry heavier bomb loads [18:08] because they need to carry less [18:10] fuel flight times are shortened [18:13] significantly in other words this really [18:16] puts a bone in iran's throat from a [18:19] purely military perspective it [18:21] completely changes the game [18:24] in terms of israel's capabilities [18:25] vis-a-vis iran and iran knows it [18:28] it makes no difference in iran's [18:31] capability toward us [18:33] but a huge difference in our capability [18:35] towards them [18:37] and i think that's that's one of the [18:38] things that terrifies them more than [18:40] anything else [18:41] because clearly somebody's been hitting [18:43] them from [18:44] a very great distance and closing that [18:47] gap [18:47] is enormous the economic [18:50] trade uh the ability to to to [18:54] buy and sell to this very very wealthy [18:57] country [18:58] uh is obviously very important [19:01] it's also part of of breaking [19:04] the ring of the air of an arab boycott [19:06] that's already in tatters [19:07] but this rips it completely open [19:10] okay i have a question now i have a [19:12] question [19:14] um [19:18] hamas is [19:23] is a nephew let's say of [19:26] iran they're not wholly owned and [19:28] operated by iran but close no they're [19:30] they're they're a proxy they're they're [19:32] purely so they're an iran proxy [19:36] is iran correct great great [19:40] mahmoud abbas and the palestinian [19:42] authority who [19:44] are still run by the remnants of the plo [19:48] and these and they're just this corrupt [19:51] mafia that is that is still [19:54] officially and nominally sunni and [19:58] and they they're not [20:02] a proxy and or or a branch of iran [20:06] and it would seem to me that with the [20:08] sunni [20:09] powers like the emirates [20:13] and egypt and we could imagine it [20:16] it's not hard to imagine saudi arabia [20:19] joining the club at some later date or [20:22] at least [20:23] quietly joining the club they're [20:25] probably in the club already [20:28] it would seem to me that within the [20:31] within the [20:32] struggle for for power within the [20:35] palestinian [20:37] uh movement and within the palestinian [20:40] political scene [20:42] that hamas hamas still has their donor [20:44] hamas still has their funding [20:47] and there it would seem that that [20:49] mahmoud abbas and the palestinian [20:51] authority are [20:52] we are are weakened and at least [20:55] internally even though the whole [20:56] palestinian [20:58] anti-israel cause is weakened in [21:01] at the same time vis-a-vis the [21:04] palestinian authority [21:05] hamas it would appear to me would be [21:06] strengthened by this [21:10] um okay first of all first first of all [21:12] remember hamas is also sunni [21:15] don't don't mix the sunni shiite issue [21:18] into this [21:19] okay okay because it's far more complex [21:23] than that dichotomy within the sunnis [21:26] within the shiites between the sunnis [21:28] and the shiites [21:29] there's a very very complex web of [21:31] relationships [21:32] that have as much to do with politics as [21:35] they do with religion [21:36] and in some cases more about politics [21:38] than religion [21:39] okay uh all right okay so so let's let's [21:42] start with that [21:46] so the tension between the emirates and [21:47] the saudis and [21:49] on the one hand and iran on the other [21:51] hand is not as simple as sunni shiite [21:53] no on the contrary i would say it has [21:54] very little to do with sunni shiite [21:56] it has much more to do with arab persian [21:58] than it does with sunni shiite [22:00] okay okay [22:04] so the question becomes who do you deal [22:07] with in order to get what now [22:09] hamas is much more a true believer [22:13] organization than fatah in other words [22:17] i won't say totally because they've got [22:20] their share of corruption [22:22] but it's nowhere near the kleptocracy [22:26] of the palestinian authority and fatah [22:33] hamas is also in a position where it [22:36] needs to maintain its power in gaza [22:39] through radicalism it doesn't doesn't [22:41] have true legitimacy it has quasi [22:43] legitimacy [22:44] but it doesn't have true legitimacy [22:46] we're supporting the pa [22:48] and abu mazen and fatah because it suits [22:50] us and it suits them for it to suit us [22:54] we we would much rather have them govern [22:57] we have no interest in governing their [22:58] cities [22:59] we don't want to be patrolling their [23:00] cities um [23:02] so we tolerate a certain amount of let's [23:08] let's just say sloppiness misbehave [23:10] behavior [23:12] um we don't get involved in their [23:14] corruption [23:15] whatever you do it you deal with it i [23:17] think some of us this is [23:19] short-sighted but i understand where [23:21] it's coming from [23:23] hamas in gaza is a whole different [23:25] ballgame a whole different story look we [23:27] have a mini war going on with them right [23:28] now [23:29] and we're trying very hard not to topple [23:32] them [23:32] because here again we as bad as they are [23:35] it's the evil that we know [23:37] and we don't want chaos we we would [23:40] still prefer a hamas [23:42] as a return address in gaza than have [23:45] chaos and have no return address in gaza [23:49] uh and we don't want to go back in there [23:51] and i people say oh you know we have to [23:53] go [23:53] we have to take retake gaza iowa [23:56] israelis at least [23:57] a few questions have you ever served in [23:59] gaza [24:01] did you ever patrol jebalia refugee camp [24:05] and do you ever want to do it again [24:08] and if the answer is yes to all three i [24:11] recommend a good psychiatrist [24:17] okay [24:20] we have we have a problem and it doesn't [24:22] it doesn't lend itself to a simple [24:23] solution [24:24] but let's leave all of that let's come [24:26] back to to the emirates and all that [24:28] because this this is a whole different [24:30] subject in its own right [24:32] sure um look we've gained [24:35] strategically we're [24:38] we've given away nothing people say well [24:42] i love reading the social media stuff on [24:44] this one what if they don't [24:46] carry through what if they don't open an [24:48] embassy okay so we extend sovereignty [24:51] in other words they haven't given [24:53] anything away [24:56] okay um but it's in their interest [25:00] and that's the best reason to make a [25:02] deal with someone [25:04] i mean this talk about trump the deal [25:06] maker this is so classic [25:07] it's it's textbook everybody gains from [25:10] it [25:10] nobody loses anything from it uh [25:17] it's it's as perfect as a deal can [25:19] possibly be [25:20] as far as that goes it doesn't work as [25:23] well as anticipated [25:25] that is the arab street [25:28] throughout the arab world ready for this [25:31] first of all what arab street lebanon [25:34] syria iraq saudi arabia [25:38] you know like muslims muslims worldwide [25:40] saudi arabia [25:42] the um had ballistic missiles fired at [25:44] it today by the houthis [25:46] supported by iran in yemen the the [25:49] missiles were intercepted [25:52] who would the saudis rather deal with [25:54] the iranians or the israelis [25:59] no i i understand that at the leadership [26:01] level i'm just wondering i think [26:02] you know when you spend decades when you [26:04] spend decades educating your children [26:06] that israel is evil [26:08] and that the jewish people are evil [26:10] right how did [26:11] how does this i mean [26:15] is there is there more readiness and [26:17] more westernization than we realize at [26:20] the [26:20] in the street or are they gonna have to [26:22] re-educate [26:24] they'll certainly have to re-educate but [26:26] but i think it's re-educate light [26:28] i'm not i'm certainly not poo pooing the [26:31] anti-semitic and anti-israel [26:34] rhetoric that goes on in these countries [26:36] but it's [26:37] gotten much lighter over the years in [26:39] the countries we're talking about [26:41] the only place that's really hammering [26:43] it on a daily basis [26:45] is the palestinians and the iranians of [26:47] course [26:48] the turks have picked up the cause [26:50] recently but i mean [26:51] obviously erdogan is going full jihad [26:54] mode right now [26:56] um the other countries it's there i mean [27:00] you won't find a great deal of love for [27:02] israel in their [27:03] in their rhetoric or in their in their [27:04] media but it's not the hammering that's [27:07] going on [27:08] in those places that i mentioned the [27:10] more educated [27:12] the more contact they've had and the [27:14] more they realize that rhetoric is [27:15] rhetoric [27:17] it'll be much easier to for them to turn [27:20] around [27:21] than places like even egypt now egypt's [27:24] an interesting paradox [27:26] the muslim brotherhood is very very [27:28] strong in egypt [27:29] and they do a hammer the anti-semitic [27:32] line okay they're not that powerful in [27:36] saudi arabia they're virtually [27:37] non-existent in the [27:39] in the emirates and bahrain and places [27:41] like that [27:42] um these are small countries with small [27:45] populations [27:47] relatively affluent and there's not [27:50] really a foothold for that kind of [27:51] radicalism [27:52] now once again i'm not going to say that [27:53] it's not there i'm not i'm not saying [27:56] there isn't work that needs to be done [27:58] there but we're not talking about [28:00] turning it over on the level of [28:04] again the palestinian authority hamas [28:06] for sure [28:08] hezbollah controlled media [28:11] uh countries like iraq and yemen [28:14] that are under control of radicals [28:17] particularly with iranian support [28:19] uh here we're talking about something [28:20] very different and [28:23] the emirates in particular have had [28:25] quiet relations listen [28:27] what one of the things that drove drove [28:28] the palestinians crazy [28:30] about the aid that was sent is the first [28:33] plane that was sent [28:34] from the emirates that landed at ben [28:35] gurion was without markings [28:38] the second one was with markings [28:41] an emirates plane with emirate flag on [28:44] it [28:45] landed at ben-gurion airport [28:49] and first of all the sky didn't fall [28:53] and the palestinians said what they're [28:56] they've tacitly recognized israel we [28:58] don't want it from them we'd rather die [29:00] than recognize israel so the animal the [29:02] guy the emerald said okay so die [29:10] what are the dynamics between the [29:12] different gulf states in terms of [29:15] are there are there like uh more popular [29:18] kids [29:18] and are there leaders like meaning where [29:20] does the emirates fit in there [29:22] so let's let's let's start with the [29:25] outlier qatar [29:26] is radical they're trying to tie in [29:29] they've chosen the other side they're [29:31] tying in with the turks and the iranians [29:33] um they support terrorist organizations [29:38] yeah uh so they're they're sort of the [29:41] outlier [29:43] the others vary depending on size [29:47] population [29:48] background kuwait is somewhere in the [29:50] middle it's quiet but [29:52] sort of middle but the emirates bahrain [29:56] oman are much more on the saudi side of [29:58] it [30:00] keeping in mind that they're very small [30:02] saudi arabia saudi arabia has a problem [30:04] it's a [30:04] huge huge territory with a very small [30:07] population [30:08] and they have a hard time extending [30:10] control over their over their territory [30:12] they're also much more conservative they [30:15] have to be open to [30:16] muslims from around the world because of [30:18] mecca and medina [30:20] so they're kind of a strange case in [30:21] their own right although to be fair [30:24] this new generation of leaders [30:28] is trying to pull them into a at least [30:30] in the 20th century [30:33] 21st is a little bit too much to hope [30:35] for but [30:37] uh [30:41] these are small tribal [30:44] operations i think if saudi arabia was [30:48] the size of the emirates it would it [30:50] would be much closer to it in terms of [30:51] its behavior [30:53] um but even the emirates it's a few [30:56] million people and about twice that many [30:58] foreigners [31:00] and make up the population okay [31:04] so there's a lot of directions we could [31:06] go i just want to ask one last question [31:08] and get your response to it and then [31:09] i guess this will keep coming up because [31:12] it really doesn't change [31:13] no because it really does change the [31:14] whole chess board um and [31:16] my question uh is [31:20] to what extent it [31:23] did the obama administration's attempts [31:27] to to coddle iran [31:31] and to and to whitewash iran's evil [31:36] accelerate the relationship between [31:39] israel and the gulf states [31:43] and in other words what i'm saying is in [31:45] some weird backhanded way [31:47] perhaps the obama administration helped [31:52] unwittingly shepherd this relationship [31:54] is that is that an accurate [31:55] line of analysis there there is [31:57] something to that [31:58] um i've even seen seen people say well [32:01] uh we have to credit credit [32:05] the obama administration for this um [32:09] my response was that that's that's like [32:11] saying we have to give [32:12] neville chamberlain credit for america [32:14] becoming a superpower after world war ii [32:17] um that's a perfect analogy [32:21] right so you you don't credit bad policy [32:25] for having some sort of positive [32:28] side outcome um [32:31] i think that it certainly was part of it [32:35] more than the iran empowerment [32:38] was a message by the way that america [32:41] sends [32:42] repeatedly and that is you can't really [32:45] trust us [32:48] and they've sent us that message [32:49] repeatedly some administrations [32:52] more than others some less than others [32:54] but there is this undercurrent and we [32:56] look we have it coming up now and i [32:58] don't want to get into american politics [33:00] but israelis are looking toward november [33:04] and saying we are worried [33:07] and it doesn't matter which side in [33:09] other words if you're [33:11] if you're pro trump then you're worried [33:13] that biden will win if you're pro biden [33:15] you're worried that trump will win [33:16] but why should we worry about the [33:18] outcome of american [33:20] election and the answer is because [33:23] whoever wins the american [33:24] election could be good or bad for israel [33:28] and we can't rely on america [33:31] we have to rely on administrations [33:36] at least on a certain level i mean [33:38] america is solidly behind israel but i'm [33:39] talking about on the flying points [33:42] uh let's remember that [33:45] israel has far deeper support in america [33:48] than countries like the emirates or [33:51] saudi arabia [33:52] so when america pulls a plug on them [33:54] like the obama administration did [33:57] they immediately look around say okay [33:58] who who can we rely on because we can't [34:00] rely on these guys [34:03] you know what's interesting is that one [34:05] another [34:06] based on what you've said maybe we'll [34:08] end with this i just [34:10] i realized there's another distinction [34:13] between this peace deal and other peace [34:15] deals especially the egypt one [34:18] i would say in that the the peace deal [34:21] with egypt [34:23] one of the major pieces of the deal was [34:27] all the things that egypt would gain by [34:30] staying in the deal [34:31] in foreign aid from the united states [34:34] and [34:34] and united states being somewhat their [34:36] protector and [34:37] you know being part of that that team [34:40] the emirates [34:41] are not getting any anything from [34:44] america [34:44] in this that they weren't getting [34:46] already they weren't getting already [34:47] which means that even [34:48] if this is there was always a fear with [34:51] the egypt deal [34:52] that if somehow the eu [34:55] egypt if egypt didn't fulfill its [34:59] relationship with the america and the [35:00] american egyptian relationship would [35:02] fall apart and that would harm the peace [35:04] deal with this [35:04] correct example calculation is not part [35:07] of this [35:08] yeah you know what let me summarize that [35:10] and and we'll end with this [35:12] one of the important aspects that led to [35:15] the [35:16] egypt israel peace was anwar sadat's [35:20] understanding that he needed to focus [35:22] more on domestic internal issues [35:25] and war with israel was just not part of [35:28] that agenda [35:29] in other words he didn't do it out of [35:30] any shared interest with us he just [35:32] wanted us off the table [35:34] and because he had other things to do [35:36] and correctly so [35:38] this deal is about common interests [35:41] whether it's the iran threat or [35:44] economics trade science [35:48] what defense technology whatever [35:51] it's a common interest not based on [35:55] we we want you off the table so we can [35:57] deal with other stuff [36:00] and so there's there's numerous ways [36:02] that this deal really [36:04] sets a new pr you know sets a new [36:06] paradigm yeah and i think we're not [36:08] overstating it by saying that [36:10] that you know that a new day is dawning [36:13] and we're going to see more dominoes [36:15] fall as a result of this [36:16] and uh you know you know god bless as [36:19] people of faith who [36:21] who look to the you know who pray for [36:22] the peace of jerusalem and for the peace [36:24] of israel as it were [36:25] and and for the well-being of the jewish [36:27] people we have to really take a [36:29] you know take a step back and look at [36:31] history through that [36:32] through that faith lens and realize that [36:36] we're always waiting for what's the next [36:37] shift that's going to happen in history [36:39] that's going to move things in a more [36:40] positive direction [36:42] for the people of israel and this really [36:44] this really feels like it is [36:46] yes i think so that's a good note to end [36:49] on [36:49] there's so much to talk about i always [36:51] want to go for hours but [36:52] we'll be back next week we have to [36:55] decide which direction to take maybe [36:56] maybe some of our viewers could could [36:58] send us emails [37:00] uh now we could get back to the stuff [37:02] about iran and serial we could continue [37:04] explaining some of the ramifications of [37:06] this there's a lot of different [37:07] directions to go [37:09] send in your queries and questions and [37:10] and what you'd like to see us attack [37:12] we might not do what you say but at [37:14] least it'll be interesting to see what [37:15] you'd like [37:16] it'll help help us decide what to do [37:18] next all right god bless everyone [37:20] thank you very much for watching and [37:21] please share and tell everyone about [37:23] this [37:23] you know that what you're getting here [37:25] is deeper than what you get anywhere [37:26] else [37:27] certainly in the media so share it [37:28] around [37:31] blessings
In this episode, security and defense analyst Elliot Chodoff and Rabbi Pesach Wolicki discuss the wide-ranging implications of the deal to normalize relations between the United Arab Emirates and Israel. Who are the winners? Who are the losers? What are the short and long term implications of this shift in the region?
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