At a time Arab countries and regimes rushed to normalize relations with Israel, reversing their positions on the Palestinian issue, other Arab nations oppose normalization stressing that they would not join this trend.

Arab countries led an official front rejecting normalization, including Kuwait, which continues to adhere to its traditional position that rejects the normalization relations with Israel.

Kuwait

So far, Kuwait has broken the expectations which the US President Trump talked about, saying that it is on the way to normalization after the UAE, Bahrain, and Sudan.

In confirmation of the Kuwaiti position, the The Kuwati Ministry of Commerce and Industry announced, early last November, the closure of eight stores, one of which sells Israeli products, and the referral of their owners to the prosecution, at the same time the normalized countries accelerate to establish economic and trade cooperation relations with Israel.

In addition, 41 non-governmental organizations in Kuwait asserted their rejection of normalization with the occupation, and said in a joint statement that "our position was, is, and will always reject this Israeli entity, and we will never recognize it until after a Palestinian state has been established.

Tunisia

Tunisia also has maintained its position towards the Palestinian issue, and the Tunisian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement, on Tuesday, 22 December, that “the consistent position of the President of the Republic, Kais Saied, emphasizes that the rights of the Palestinian people are inalienable and not subject to prescription, foremost of which is their self determine right and their right to establish an independent state with Jerusalem as its capital.

Algeria

“Algeria will not recognize the state of Israel,” Abdelmadjid Tebboune, the president of Algeria, said during an interview with Algerian media.

Tebboune considered that the Palestinian issue is the most important issue in the Middle East and it is a holy issue, ruling out any solution in the region without resolving the Palestinian issue.

Yemen

Despite the Gulf rapprochement with Israel, foremost of which is the Saudi position, the Yemeni government was one of the first Arab governments to announce its rejection of any normalization with the occupation, and its assertion that there is no peace before the establishment of the State of Palestine with its capital Jerusalem.

Muhammad Al-Hadrami, the Yemeni Minister of the Foreign Affairs, said in a press statement: "Our position regarding the Palestinian issue in the Republic of Yemen will remain constant and will not change and the rights of the brotherly Palestinian people are not Inalienable and on top of which is the establishment of an independent Paletinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.”

“Normalization is a denial of Arabism and the nation’s values, charters, agreements, and interests,” Abdulmalik Abduljalil Al-Mekhlafi I, Advisor to the president of the Republic of Yemen, said.

Pakistan

As for Pakistan, it renewed its position on the Palestinian issue, and considered it steadfast and genuine and related to the founder of the state, the great leader Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

“Our position is very clear, we will not recognize Israel until the Palestinians are given their right to a just settlement,” Imran Ahmed Khan, the Prime Minister of Pakistan highlighted.

He pointed out that the recognition of Israel in the current situation means acceptance of the current status of Kashmir and abandoning it, because the two issues are similar. He continued, "We are all responsible to God for the Palestinians who are deprived of their rights, my conscience does not accept that!"

Iran

The Iranian position did not just stop at rejecting normalization, but it also held the Arab regimes and governments responsible for their abandonment of Palestine and any consequences for that in the region.

The Islamic Republic had previously sharply criticized the Emirati and Bahrini normalization with its most prominent enemy in the region, describing the move as strategic folly that reached the point of treason.

"Israel commits more crimes in Palestine daily," Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, said during a cabinet meeting.

Without naming the UAE and Bahrain, the Iranian president asked: “How can you extend your hand to Israel, and then want to give it bases in the region? All the dire consequences that will result from that will fall on your responsibility, you are the ones who are doing an illegal thing against the security of the region.”

Arab World

The positions of these countries are an extension of Arab public opinion that rejects the trends of normalization and shows broad opposition to establish relations with Israel.

An opinion poll conducted by the 2019-2020 Arab Opinion Index

showed that the Arab peoples are still overwhelmingly opposed to the recognition of Israel.

The survey was based on face-to-face interviews conducted with 28,000 respondents in 13 Arab countries, between November 2019 and September 2020.

According to the poll results, the respondents saw that Israel is the main threat facing their country.

Source : Safa