Arutz Sheva
By: Yoni Kempinski
May 20, 2020
Rabbi Marc Schneier speaks with Arutz Sheva about historic UAE flight to Israel, and what the future holds for Israel-Arab cooperation.
On Tuesday night, an Etihad Airways plane flew from Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates, to Israel’s Ben Gurion International Airport.
The flight, which brought humanitarian aid and medical equipment to the Palestinian Authority to help combat the coronavirus pandemic, was the first-ever direct flight from the Arab Gulf States to Israel.
Rabbi Marc Schneier, president of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding, spoke with Arutz Sheva about the implications of the historic flight, and what it means for the warming relations between Israel and the Arab Gulf states.
“It is yet another step in the furthering of relations between the Gulf States and Israel, specifically the UAE bringing humanitarian aid to the Palestinians. It was Qatar which began that process two years ago, not only with the blessing of the Israelis, but at the request of the Israelis,” said Rabbi Schneier.
“Now, two years later, we see the UAE bringing aid to the Palestinians in the midst of this pandemic. That leads to other examples. During the coronavirus pandemic in the Middle East, four Gulf states have either reached out or are looking to cooperate with Israel. We see that with the UAE, we see that with Qatar last week when Qatar Airways included Israelis and Israeli hospital workers in the distribution of tickets for QA.”
“We know that countries like Kuwait and Bahrain, which reached out to the Sheba Medical Center [in Israel].”
“This is just one more step on the journey. I’m not going to present that we’ve reached the promised land of Israel-Gulf relations, but I might remind our viewers…that it took 40 years to reach the promised land, and this is one more benchmark along that journey.”
Do you believe that this kind of cooperation can lead us to a COVID-19 vaccine?
“I have heard from several Gulf leaders at the highest level: ‘Rabbi, with our resources and wealth and Israel’s brain trust and technology, combining forces, together we could find a cure, we could find a vaccine not only for the Middle East but for the world.”
“Today, Israel and the Gulf now have three common enemies, three common challenges: the perennial one is the existential threat coming from Iran. But now, Israel and the Gulf share two other common challenges: the economic challenges of the pandemic on not only the economy of Israel but also the economies in the Gulf, which have been particularly affected by the diminished demand for oil. Then you have the physical threat of the pandemic itself, and protecting citizens of both the states in the Gulf and of the State of Israel.”
“I think that is just another significant step: how wonderful it is to have an airline from the United Arab Emirates landing in Ben Gurion [Airport].”
“There is now a healthy competition in the Gulf of who can out ‘Israel’ the other. And that healthy competition is only going to benefit Israel and the Jewish people. Let the competition continue.”
What about the controversial payments from Qatar to Gaza? Some have called it funding for terrorism. What is your message on these payments?
“I know the ambassador from Qatar who is overseeing this, and I’ve met him several times in Doha. I’ve found him to pure and authentic in terms of what he is bringing to Gaza, and that is humanitarian aid.”
“There is no question that if these monies that are going to Gaza were going to fund terrorism, that the Israelis, particularly with their network, would not permit this to go on. I want to clarify and emphasize: Qatar, and the UAE in terms of their engagement in Gaza and their funding of the Palestinians, this is not only with the blessing of the Israelis, it is at the request of the Israelis.”
“There is a need to maintain some elementary foundation of human life and certain basic needs that people have. That is where the Gulf can play a very important role not only in Gaza, but also the Palestinian Authority.”
Some would say fighting terror becomes easier when you treat the humanitarian and economic issues.
“That’s always been my vision. I know this is also the vision of Jared Kushner and the President of the United States. And that is the power of economic prosperity, and how important it is for…to know that [the Palestinians] have these economic opportunities and these economic possibilities. And that’s where the Gulf can play and is now playing a very significant role.”