The Real Problem

I don’t think I buy Hussein Ibish’s take on the real reasons for the animosity between the Israelis and the Gulf Arabs:

Israel is misreading the Arab world in several unfortunate respects. It does not recognise the diversity of strategic thinking and policies among the Gulf states, and treats them as if they had a single, homogeneous perspective and set of interests. And, even more importantly, it does not seem to understand that its conduct in the occupied Palestinian territories remains an insurmountable obstacle to close or open cooperation, even though that might otherwise make some strategic sense.

For one thing I think he dismisses the differences in what Jordan’s and Egypt’s leaders have done by comparison with what the leaders of the Gulf Arab states (not to mention Iran) have done just a bit too airily:

Jordan and Egypt made peace with Israel in their own interests, and those agreements are rock-solid. But Arab states in the Gulf region don’t share the same imperatives. Limited progress might be possible in specific areas. Israel might be able to cooperate with Qatar on reconstruction in Gaza, or with Saudi Arabia on Palestinian national reconciliation and relations between Hamas and Fatah. But despite the diversity in their policies none of the Gulf states will be prepared to enter into anything remotely resembling an alliance with Israel, despite the threat of Iranian hegemony, as long as the occupation continues with no end in sight.

Let me propose an alternative explanation. Elites in Arab countries find it in their interests to foment hatred for the Israelis to distract the attention of their populations from their own illegitimacy and misdeeds. Israeli politicians find it profitable to keep the conflict simmering rather than to defuse it.