Could COVID-19 be the catalyst to bring peace to the Middle East? | Opinion

USA Today
By Rabbi Marc Schneier
August 9, 2020

A global pandemic maybe able to accomplish what centuries of politicians could not —achieve peace in the Middle East. For decades, experts, academics and politicians have pondered what the secret is to Middle East peace. They have tried to create a variety of plans and programs, but none have worked. Ironically, these last few months have brought with them some natural partnerships between Israel and its Gulf neighbors as each try to combat the cascading impact of COVID-19 on their people. As COVID-19 cases spike around the world, the Middle East has been hit particularly hard and experts predict that the number will continue to rise as governments lift the bans requiring people to stay at home. As governments scurry to fast-track vaccines while also figuring out how to open their economies safely, many are questioning whether they are prepared for an even larger outbreak. Despite that, there is something to look forward to as the Gulf and Israel have been working together to combat COVID-19 and if they continue to do so, they will can be the region that finds the cure to benefit people around the world.

Since the eruption of COVID-19 in the Middle East and around the world, I have been involved in discussions between Israelis and Gulf leaders on strategies for fighting it. In my discussions with top government leaders in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman and Kuwait, I have repeatedly heard leaders express variations on the following statement, “Rabbi, with our resources and wealth and Israel’s brain trust and technological prowess and innovation, we can create a vaccine and a cure.”

COVID-19 brings the region together because all Middle Eastern countries share a common climate and, in many cases, a common culture. Sharing best practices between Manama and Tel Aviv makes much more sense than Abu Dhabi and London. For example, climate allows Middle Easterners to enjoy outdoor activities much of the year. Yet, in the heat of the summer will typically draw Middle Easterners inside, posing different COVID challenges — common to their region — but not necessarily to others. From a cultural perspective, throughout the Middle East, when you sit for a large meal, a series of small salads and hummus will be brought to the table and shared family style. That is not as prevalent in other parts of the world. These are just a few examples of the commonalities Israel and its Gulf neighbors face when combatting COVID-19 and why it makes sense for them to work together on this.

The Gulf states, which have been drawing closer to Israel for years in part because of a common existential threat to both from Iran, now have another powerful incentive to work constructively with the state of Israel. They are deeply concerned about the disruptive impact of COVID-19 on their own societies — including the economic damage they have incurred by the crash in the global price of oil. Given the high stakes, these countries are increasingly looking to Israel to help them find solutions. There is clearly an opportunity for Israel to join forces with them in a situation where matters of public health transcend political differences.

While the UAE — like the other Gulf states — does not have formal diplomatic relations with Israel, its airline, Etihad, has in recent weeks landed the first two flights in its history at Israel’s Ben-Gurion Airport filled with ventilators and other medical equipment to help the Palestinians to cope with the COVID-19 crisis.

Following the second Etihad plane landing with aid supplies in Israel, Hend Al Otaiba, Director of Strategic Communications at the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, tweeted “This virus demands collective action on an unprecedented scale — we cannot allow politics to undermine global health security at such a critical moment. The UAE will do whatever it can to help and is grateful for the support it has received from others, including the UN.”

Other Gulf states, including Bahrain and Kuwait, are working with Israel’s Sheba Medical Center to seek guidance on their COVID-19 responses. Another example of working together, Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker announced that Israeli medical professionals can have access to some of the 100,000 free flight tickets the airline is distributing to healthcare professionals.

All of this points to the fact that COVID-19 may in fact be the catalyst to bringing peace in the Middle East. Israel-Gulf cooperation — on COVID-19 and other matters — is a win-win for Israel and the Gulf.

Rabbi Marc Schneier is President of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding and a noted advisor to many Gulf states.

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