In the Wake of Normalization, the UAE Loses Respect!

Ahmad Al-habtoor
2020 / 11 / 16

It is safe to say, I believe, that Arabs have started to follow the example of Israel in tyrannizing Palestinians and blaming the victim on every front. The manifestation of this is most evident through the media of the GCC, which seems to attempt to seek the approval of the US and Israel by diminishing the enemy of Israel, that is, Palestine.

It is no news, Palestine, a country occupied by Israelis, has been reduced to a conflict between “Israel and the Palestinians” in a change of reality towards serving the Zionist program. The news-;- however, is Arabs adopting the dogma to justify opening up to relations with Israel while having all justifications ready at hand.

Why was she raped? It is her fault one way´-or-another. She either dressed in a revealing manner, went out late at night, had a sexy figure´-or-was just quite intimidating to the rapist. Women are second class citizens in the Arab World and the matter is always resolved by finding some sort of justification out of it to be able to at night.

Arab countries, hopping onto the train of normalizing relations with Israel, are no different. Rather than holding the rapist accountable, they resorted to blaming the victim, who is perceived as a second class citizen in both the Arab World and the only democracy in the Middle East.

I believe I speak for many young men and women of my generation when we express our dismay at the policy taken against Palestinians through our countries in the GCC. I remember the interview of my second granduncle Khalaf Al-Habtoor when he stated that Palestine is our cause, unshakeable under any circumstances. To him then, as to me now, Palestine has been the cause of all Arabs, a just cause for Arabs to redeem a land violated by the Israeli occupation. I remember how he wanted to fight the terror label fixed unto Muslims and to let the world see the true colors of Arabs. I used to look up to my granduncle, but not anymore. Today, Khalaf Al-Habtoor is a key sponsor of illegal settlements constructed by the Israeli occupation on lands confiscated from their people leaving them to seek refuge anywhere except in their homeland. Today, Khalaf Al-Habtoor gives up on the principles we were brought up to perceive as sacred. He did not need the power, the wealth´-or-the approval. Yet, he chose to bend over to seek approval of those he could very well buy with his wealth.

My resentment goes farther as I see the hypocritical paradoxes of my people. Mana Al-Otaiba, and Emirati poet, had a considerable number of poems composed for Palestine as a noble cause. His son, Yousuf, however, became the instrument paving way, not only for blaming the rape victim but also, for encouraging the rapist to take as many as he comes across. Hussein Al-Jasmi, our celebrated singer, sang in favor of Palestinians in the past but decided today that Palestinians are not worth it, so he opted to compose music for Israeli musicians, with whom Roger Waters finds absolutely no honor in being acquainted. Mohammad bin Rashed, the ruler of Dubai, wrote the lyrics to commend the Palestinians and their resistance once upon a time. Today, he wrote a statement to praise MBZ for stabbing Palestinians in the back.

My grandfather told me that back in 1984, MBZ received some telexes from the Israeli Mossad offering to train security forces for the UAE. At the time, MBZ welcomed the idea but my grandfather, my father and myself today never thought the day would come for it to be a reality. At the same time, I am not surprised. Retired US General Frank was entrusted with training and overseeing the development of Yousef Al-Otaiba to be MBZ ambassador in Washington DC. General Frank and company made sure to Zionize Yousef Al-Otaiba at an early age.

The list goes on and I cannot grasp the meaning behind all of this. Where are we going? Not by making every Arab out there our enemy, but by acting on a whim to make the absolutely right become wrong.

The UAE was the first country to establish a ministry of happiness, but cannot tell if its stand today will make Palestinians happy´-or-not. Praying in Al-Aqsa Mosque under the protection of the IDF, while Palestinians who live meters away are prohibited from performing a prayer so dear to their hearts by the same IDF forces, cannot make any human being in their right mind happy!

The GCC media decided to take it up a notch. Blaming the victim is not enough, so let us demonize the victim. Why was she raped? It is not only her fault. No! She is a demon! Women are the spirit of Satan. Unless deprived from every human right, they shall spread evil all over the universe. Palestinians have suddenly become the root of all evil!

The UAE and the KSA, both with a proven track record in corruption, money laundering and human trafficking, chose to single out the Palestinian leadership to serve as the scapegoat for all the corruption of the world. Terrorism, propagated essentially by the Wahhabism of KSA and the UAE are now blamed on Palestinians, who, as any human being, would defend their land from occupation using any and all means possible. Bandar bin Sultan, the prince of “So What?” in face of corruption charges, finds Palestinians to be the root of all problems in the Middle East and pins it to corruption.

The Saudi leadership blames Palestinians for the division caused by the Israeli occupation in the first place. The GCC blames Palestinians for thinking “what is in it for them” before taking any step while they made sure they treated Palestinians in a manner that made them think survival, necessity and to each his own.

In the middle of all of this, while stabbing Palestinians in the back, the UAE emphasizes its continued support to Palestinians. In the middle of all of this, we are lost, we broke the compass and as a result, we lost the respect of our friends and our enemies alike.




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