ISRAEL AND THE GULF: A SECURITY PARTNERSHIP AROUND THE CORNER?
The MED This Week newsletter provides expert analysis and informed insights on the most significant developments in the MENA region, bringing together unique opinions on the topic and reliable foresight on future scenarios. Today we focus on the broadening technological and military partnership between Israel and the Arab Gulf States.
A year and a half after signing the Abraham Accords, Israel, Bahrain and United Arab Emirates are now working to further develop their economic and military ties. Over the past eighteen months, Israel has significantly expanded its trade relations with the UAE and Bahrain, while also enhancing the cooperation in the military technology and cybersecurity sectors. Over the last weeks, this process has accelerated. At the beginning of February, Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz signed a security agreement with Bahrain. Being the first of its kind to be signed with a Gulf state, this agreement aims at strengthening cooperation between the two countries in the intelligence and defence sectors. In the very days of Gantz’s visit to Bahrain, Israel took part in a US-led naval exercise across the Red Sea, the North Indian Ocean, and the Gulf. For the first time, the Israeli Navy sailed along Saudi and Omani ships, despite the lack of official diplomatic ties. Overall, these events signal Israel’s intention to lay the groundwork for a new strategic alliance in the region. As the US redefines its engagement in the area, it is difficult to gauge if and to what extent a new security system in the Gulf is in sight. It remains to be seen if such a development may potentially lead to future tensions with Iran.
Experts from the ISPI MED network react to the growing security ties between Israel, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates in the Gulf.
