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Jared Kushner does not seem to have succeeded in convincing other Gulf countries to follow in the footsteps of the United Arab Emirates and normalize ties with Israel. The interlocutors of President Donald Trump’s senior advisor asked for time before formalizing their rapprochement with the Hebrew state.
The King of Bahrain, Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa, has hinted that he cannot take this step before the Wahhabi kingdom. The monarch told Kushner that «the stability and solidarity of the Gulf rests, in all circumstances, on the big sister, Saudi Arabia», BNA news agency reports. «An agreement with Israel would not take place until important events [occur] in the region», the same source added.
Saudi Arabia diplomatically declined Jared Kushner's offer. Riyadh conditioned any normalization with Israel on the creation of a Palestinian state, Hebrew media report.
Internal considerations explain the reservations expressed by Bahrain and the Wahhabi kingdom to seal a pact with Tel Aviv. The ruling family in Manama fear the anger of the strong Shiite community (around 70% of the population) especially after the September 1 tweets of Ali Khamenei, «guide of the revolution in Iran», accusing the United Arab Emirates of «betraying the Islamic world and Palestinians». «They allowed the Zionist regime to enter the region and forgot about Palestine», he wrote.
What about Morocco ?
For his part, the Saudi Crown Prince reportedly would have also asked Jared Kushner for time as he would be in the process of putting aside members of the royal family who are trying to overshadow him. Indeed, on August 31, several senior officials were dismissed for «corruption» including the commander of the international coalition leading the Saudi forces in Yemen, Lieutenant General Fahd bin Turki bin Abdelaziz al-Saoud. His son, Abdelaziz ben Fahad, vice-emir of the Al-Jouf region, also suffered the same fate.
In addition to domestic issues, Gulf states first prefer to wait for the results of the presidential race in the United States expected to take place in November to decide on the Trump administration’s request.
While awaiting for Jared Kushner’s visit to Morocco, it is difficult in these conditions to see the Kingdom get into the process of normalizing ties with Israel through the exchange of ambassadors. For the record, King Mohammed VI already refused in December 2019 to host Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli media revealed.
The Kingdom has also distanced itself from the Trump administration's initiative to sign a «non-aggression pact with Israel». An offer presented in December 2019 by Victoria Coates, Deputy National United States Deputy National Security Advisor for Middle East and North African Affairs, to the ambassadors from Morocco, Oman, Bahrain and the Emirates.
With the exception of Morocco, other countries approached for signing said pact received Israeli ministers. Oman received Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on October 27, 2018, who met the late Sultan Qaboos.
No Moroccan official attended, on January 28, the presentation ceremony by Donald Trump of his «Deal of the Century». On the other hand, the ambassadors of Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Oman have answered the call. A presence hailed by both Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu and strongly applauded by the other guests of the White House.
