“We thought that the idea was long gone, but Arab Knesset members are proving that it is still alive and kicking. They care more about the interests of the Palestinian Authority than the interests of Israel’s Arab population. I think that no Arab in Israel who looks at the situation from a historical perspective and in terms of the impact it will have on their relationship with the Arab world, would still opposes the peace agreement with the United Arab Emirates,” said Uzi Baram, responding to the way that members of the Joint List voted against the normalization agreement with the UAE. Baram was a close confidante of late Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. Even now, at 83, he is still one of the most admired voices on the left.

While Baram is sympathetic to concerns that the agreement might marginalize efforts to reach peace with the Palestinians, he argues that it could have the opposite effect and propel peace forward. “The agreement is a catalyst, because this new reality doesn’t necessarily sideline peace." Baram says that normalization with the Emirates offers potential for a warm and informal peace.

The normalization agreement with the UAE, the establishment of relations with Bahrain and contacts between the government of Israel and other Arab states that might enter into similar agreements all force the lawmakers of the Joint List to confront a rapidly changing reality. Nevertheless, they don’t seem to fully understand the enormity of this historic chain of events, even as they bring change to the region. They are unable to recitify their loyalty to the Palestinian interests with normalization as a transformative event for Arab-Israelis. Their approach is narrow and focused on a single issue. It is also rather antagonistic toward the UAE and the other Arab states that are likely to follow suit.

“It is an empty peace. This agreement will only push peace away,” insists the chairman of the Joint List’s Balad faction, Knesset member Mtanes Shihadeh. “It is an agreement that rewards the occupation and Netanyahu’s policy of expanding the settlements. Gaza is still being held under siege but the UAE continues to reward Netanyahu and the far right, going so far as to give them a prize for the occupation.”