Experts' Panel on "The Process of Normalization of Relations between Arabs and Israel: Perspectives and Consequences"

One of the constant challenges that Arab states have been facing during the last few decades has been the way they should deal with Israel. Some Arab states consider the Palestine issue and its occupation by the Zionist regime an issue concerning Arabs and a few regard it an Islamic issue. Yet, nearly all Arab states –both those that consider it an Arabic issue and those regarding it an Islamic issue- are of the same opinion about one thing: opposition to Israel and the illegitimacy of occupation of Palestine. Nevertheless, some Arab states' reconciliation with Israel and their decision to establish relations with this regime were considered as breaking the taboos. The peace treaty signed by Egypt and Israel in Camp David Accords was the first step for this movement; this treaty was known as the exchange of "land for legitimacy" by resistance groups. The Peace Treaty signed in the Arava Valley between Israel was the second step to normalize the relations between Arab states and Israel. The common denominator in the first wave of normalization of relations between Arabs and Israel was that all these Arab states were the occupied Palestine's northern neighbors; the implication of all the peace treaties was legitimization of Israeli rule and its stabilization. In 2020, the second wave of normalization of relations be tween Arab states and Israel began. The Abraham Accord was the beginning of this second wave of normalization which ended in the establishment of relations between Israel and the two countries of the United Arab Emirate and Bahrain. Then, Sudan and Morocco transformed their relations with Israel. The second wave of normalization had an entirely different nature from the first wave: none of the Arab states (located in the Persian Gulf region and North Africa) are Palestine's neighbors. The United States of America was the mediator in these treaties; the remarkable aspect in most of these treaties was the opposition to Iran and the axis of resistance. In light of these events, Tehran Foreign Policy Studies Quarterly held a panel titled "The Process of Normalization of Relations between Arabs and Israel: Perspectives and Consequences" with the experts in foreign policy and international relations in order to deeply study the different aspects of this policy. The experts invited to this panel were as follows: Dr. Mojtaba Amani (the former chief of the Interests Section of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Egypt), Dr. Mojtaba Ferdowsipour (Iran's former ambassador to Jordan), Dr. Mehdi Honarmandzadeh (an expert of West Asia affairs), and Yunes Kolivand (an expert of Syrian affairs).