On July 23, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett called Emirati Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed to congratulate him on the occasion of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha. It was the first phone call between the two men. Both sides reported that it was a good conversation, focusing on the importance of the normalization agreement between their two countries.
The Emirates also reported that the two men discussed future cooperation, the most recent developments and challenges in the Middle East, and their commitment to achieving peace and prosperity in the region. But what the official spokespeople did not report was that despite this friendly call, a significant diplomatic crisis was simmering beneath the surface, and that it has the potential to ruin the relationship between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, who signed the historic normalization agreement at the White House in September.
The reason for this crisis is that the new Israeli government has been signaling plans to reevaluate a deal to transport oil from the Persian Gulf to Europe through Israel. The agreement was formalized in March by the Europe Asia Pipeline Company (EAPC), an Israeli government owned national conveyor of crude oil, and the Emirates. Before proceeding with the agreement, Israel wants to conduct an in-depth investigation of the impact the project would have on pollution in the Gulf of Eilat. Under the original agreement, the Emiratis would be allowed to transport oil to Europe via the pipeline from Eilat to Ashkelon. But on Sunday, the new environment minister, Tamar Zandberg, ordered the agreement be put on hold until all of its environmental implications can be investigated.
The agreement, celebrated by both countries as the dawn of a new era, which would have put hundreds of millions of dollars in Israel’s coffers. Within two months of the deal's formalization, Emirati oil was already flowing through the pipeline. But not everyone was happy about that. Israeli environmentalist groups were alarmed by what they claimed could result in an environmental and ecological disaster and launched a campaign against the agreement.
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