Analyzing the diplomatic relationship between the Arab Gulf states and Israel (2020-2021): A case study of the UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia

In 2020, regional history was proclaimed when the UAE became the first Arab Gulf State to normalize its diplomatic relations with Israel. After that, several Arab countries like Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan followed suit and normalized their diplomatic relations with Israel. This trend is the opposite of what happened during the Arab-Israeli war, whereby the Arab countries had presented a united front against Israel. However, what exactly is the reason for this new alliance formation? To answer this question, various scholars of international relations have come out with several theories to explain why an alliance was formed. The research question of this paper is, "After decades-long animosity and cold relations, why do some countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council decide to normalize their ties with Israel while others did not?". This paper will adopt qualitative studies to analyze the research questions. Open-ended interviews were conducted with scholars and intellectuals residing in the Arab Gulf States, individuals who are affiliated with Arab Gulf institutions, and Arab Gulf experts. I argue that this new alliance formation is mainly motivated by the profit that each Arab Gulf state would gain from the alliance. This aligns with Schweller's Balance of Interest Theory, which I will explain further in this study.