Gulf States

Saudi Arabia is likely to be the next country to sign an agreement with Israel.

The United Arab Emirates and Israel are among the countries in the region most concerned with coexistence and the pursuit of peace and stability.

Bilateral relations, both open and secret, picked up pace after the turn of the millennium.

The goal of the Gulf states is to recreate a security framework that has been eroded since the 1990s.

"The US, Netanyahu, the Bahrain and UAE governments get the credit for these agreements, but the ties and relationships that were made were very important,” said Hoenlein.

Israel may now find that media in the Gulf, which not only thrives on rumors but seeks to cater to local regimes, will highlight sensitive issues relating to Israel as a way to embarrass rivals.

Relations with the UAE seem set to feature the kind of commercial bustle that Israel’s previous peace deals never produced

Israel has always sought normalization with the Arab world, but the ongoing Palestinian conflict prevented such a development until now.

Interest in the Hebrew language is growing in the Gulf, as warmer ties between the UAE and Israel show potential for lucrative investments and tourism growth.

While the US stumbled in confronting the crisis in July 1990, George Bush quickly assembled a massive coalition to destroy Saddam Hussein’s army.