Israel plans to lobby the next Biden government to avoid clashes over human rights and other contentious issues with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, senior Israeli defense officials told me.
Why it matters: President-elect Biden has vowed to put human rights and democracy at the forefront of US foreign policy, and he skipped all three when making calls to the leaders of 17 countries after his electoral victory. He was particularly critical of Saudi Arabia during the campaign on the war in Yemen and human rights issues.
- Israel sees its security and intelligence relations with the three countries as central to its strategy to combat Iran and an important pillar in regional security.
- Now, Israel fears that Biden will not only seek an agreement with Iran, but will also cool relations with America’s Arab partners.
Driving the news: Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt welcomed the controversial decision by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo this week to designate Yemen’s Houthi rebels as a terrorist organization.
- Israel has not taken a stand on the decision – which some Democrats are already pressing Biden to reverse – but has been putting new emphasis on the situation in Yemen in recent weeks.
- This is partly due to threats by Iran-backed Houthis against Israeli ships in the Red Sea, but mainly because of the implications of further Iranian entrenchment in the country for Saudi Arabia and Egypt, Israeli officials said.
- What to watch: Israelis know that Biden will have a very different policy for Yemen than that of Trump, especially with regard to the Saudi role in the war. But they plan to encourage the new government to ensure that its policy changes do not deepen Iranian influence or undermine regional cooperation on other issues.
Behind the scenes: Israeli defense officials told me that they plan to present to the Biden government that the region has changed in the past four years, with a new regional alignment taking shape as Israel strengthens its ties with Arab countries.
- Israel hopes that the new government will prioritize this process rather than its concerns about the war in Yemen or human rights abuses.
- On the one hand: Officials say Israel has encouraged Egypt and Saudi Arabia to take action on human rights issues to improve the environment for dialogue with the Biden government.
- In the other: They also plan to warn Biden’s team that a crisis in relations with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt could push these countries away from the United States and towards Russia and China.
What they are saying: “We were very close to losing Egypt several years ago and our message to the Biden government will be: ‘Take it easy, dramatic changes have occurred, do not come with predispositions and do not damage relations with Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates'”, a senior Israeli official told me.