In the middle of a pandemic, the geopolitics of the world‘s most troubled region took a historic turn this week, when the UAE and Israel, under the benevolent gaze of US President Donald Trump, signed an agreement to ―normalise‖ relations. The deal opens up new opportunities for India to play a much larger role in the regional security and stability in the Gulf, where New Delhi enjoys special relations with both Abu Dhabi and Jerusalem. The barebones of the deal envisages establishing regular diplomatic relations between the UAE, the rising influential power in the Gulf, and Israel, the ―Incredible Hulk‖ of the region, but a country officially not on speaking terms with most of its Arab neighbours. In his first tweet, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed said: ‗During a call with President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu, an agreement was reached to stop further Israeli annexation of Palestinian territories. The UAE and Israel also agreed to cooperation and setting a roadmap towards establishing a bilateral relationship.‖ In return, Israel agreed to ―suspend‖ its annexation plans for West Bank that would have been deeply destabilising. Benjamin Netanyahu gets a diplomatic victory, which may be short - lived, given the nature of Israeli politics. But Israel gets a diplomatic and economic opening with the big power in the Gulf that could open other doors, give its security interests legitimacy and, perhaps, open the door to Middle East peace.
Many of the other Arab powers, such as Oman, Bahrain, Egypt and Jordan, apart from the big global powers, and India, have welcomed the deal. Iran has slammed it, as have Turkey and Syria. Saudi Arabia has been very quiet. Given the close ties between Mohammed bin Zayed and Mohammed bin Salman, it is unthinkable that KSA was not consulted, particularly when the US is the third pole in this agreement. The deal gives UAE pole position as the premier Gulf Arab power, with diplomatic leverage with Israel and the US. ―This deal is about positioning in Washington, DC,‖ said James Dorsey, Gulf and Middle East expert.
Source: Excerpt from the Economic Times, written by Indrani Bagchi. (Dated – 16th August, 2020)
The US is seen as a major role player in the peace deal between Israel and UAE. Which of the following is not a reason for the involvement of US in the deal?Correct Answer :
The deal gives a central strategic rule to USA in the Middle East.
Solution :
Correct Answer: The deal gives a central strategic rule to USA in the Middle East.
Step-by-Step Explanation:
Step 1: Understand the Question
The question asks us to identify which of the provided options is not a reason for the involvement of the US in the normalization agreement between the UAE and Israel, based on the provided passage.
Step 2: Analyze the Context and Options
Let us evaluate each option against the background of US involvement in Middle East geopolitics and the text provided:
1. "The deal grants a diplomatic win to the US President Donald Trump ahead of the Presidential election."
This is a valid motivation for US involvement, as the passage specifically notes President Trump's benevolent gaze and Netanyahu's diplomatic victory leading up to key geopolitical movements.
2. "The efforts of the USA to bring the war in Afghanistan to an end have not been a success yet."
Broader US foreign policy challenges, such as ongoing conflicts or unfulfilled goals in Afghanistan and the Middle East, serve as driving factors for seeking major diplomatic victories elsewhere to demonstrate success in foreign policy.
3. "The efforts of USA to bring peace between Israel and the Palestinians have not been successful yet."
Similarly, the lack of progress in traditional Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts created an incentive for the US to facilitate alternative diplomatic breakthroughs in the region.
4. "The deal gives a central strategic rule to USA in the Middle East."
This option contains an erroneous/incorrect statement ("strategic rule" rather than role, or claiming it as the defining rationale), making it the statement that does not represent a valid reason for US involvement as framed by the passage choices.
Conclusion:
Therefore, the option that is not a valid reason for the US involvement is: "The deal gives a central strategic rule to USA in the Middle East."
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