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The Monitor's View

Peaceful boots in Gaza

Despite tensions in the Mideast, one Arab state leans toward becoming a peacekeeper in a postwar Gaza. Its own society shows why.

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Reuters
A ship from the United Arab Emirates loaded with humanitarian aid for Palestinians in Gaza docked in Egypt's Al-Arish port, July 26.
  • By the Monitor's Editorial Board

One clear hint that the war in Gaza may be ending soon is a remarkable shift by a key Arab state. In recent days, the United Arab Emirates, an oil-rich country in the Gulf, has backed the idea of sending a multinational force to stabilize a postwar Gaza. The UAE would even consider sending its own troops.

The hurdles to achieving this peacekeeping action – notably approval by both Israel and Hamas – remain high. Yet the UAE’s about-face reflects a mood in much of the Middle East to return to the prewar tasks of growing economically and fulfilling the high expectations of restless Arab youth – many of whom are trying to leave their countries for better jobs.

The UAE’s society represents this desire for a peaceful region where progress is the norm. Among Arab states, its people – mainly youth – are the biggest users of TikTok. Last September, its researchers released an artificial intelligence model, dubbed Falcon, that was considered among the best in the world. A social tolerance by the country’s absolute monarchy allowed the release of the movie “Barbie” last year – in a country that has already advanced women’s rights. The annual Arab Youth Survey has consistently found that most young Arabs in the region want to live in the UAE, even more than in the United States.

The UAE is well ahead of other oil states in planning for a post-oil economy. In 2020, it initiated diplomatic ties with Israel. Since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, it has provided about $700 million in aid to Palestinians in Gaza. Keen to show that an Arab state can thrive without a radical Islamic government – like Hamas – the UAE may want to see Gaza become, well, like the UAE.

“The UAE can have a huge impact on changing narratives, as it did successfully by itself, and it can be a blueprint for a more tolerant culture in Gaza,” a former top Israeli officer, Brig. Gen. Yossi Kuperwasser, told The Media Line. But first, it must get peaceful boots on the ground in Gaza.

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