After a fragile Gaza ceasefire, the UAE a key regional mediator is urging a fundamental rethink of the Middle East peace process. Anwar Gargash, senior diplomatic adviser to the UAE president, said lasting peace requires balancing Israel’s security with the creation of a viable Palestinian state. His comments, delivered at the Reuters NEXT Gulf Summit in Abu Dhabi, mark one of the clearest Arab calls for compromise since the Gaza war’s end.
Why It Matters:
Gargash’s remarks signal a possible policy recalibration within the Arab world’s most diplomatically influential state. The UAE, which normalized ties with Israel under the 2020 Abraham Accords, now faces a delicate task: maintaining that relationship while addressing Arab frustration over Gaza’s devastation. His call to “change course” reflects growing pressure to move beyond entrenched ideologies and revive two-state diplomacy in a post-war landscape dominated by hardliners.
UAE: Positioning itself as a mediator and key player in Gaza’s reconstruction, while guarding its regional influence.
Israel: Led by PM Netanyahu, who continues to reject Palestinian statehood, creating a policy clash with partners like the UAE.
Palestinians: Divided between Hamas and the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority, both vying for post-war legitimacy.
United States: Backing regional diplomacy via the Abraham Accords and Trump’s emerging Middle East framework.
Arab States: Watching the UAE’s stance closely as it could influence future normalization deals.
What’s Next:
With the ceasefire holding tenuously, diplomatic focus will shift toward Gaza’s reconstruction and political transition. The UAE’s message that “political Islam is waning” and that peace must rest on realism, not ideology could shape upcoming Arab-Israeli negotiations. Whether Israel softens its opposition to a Palestinian state will determine if the region moves toward stability or another cycle of conflict.
With information from Reuters.
