Transcript [00:00] Everybody, let's get right into it. I [00:02] want to talk about what's happening with [00:03] the UAE right now cuz a lot has happened [00:05] in a very short window. And I want to [00:08] connect the dots for you. [00:10] So, what happened is that over the [00:12] course of the last couple days [00:14] the the UAE announced that their [00:17] Fujairah oil terminal had been hit by [00:21] Iranian rockets. You see that headline [00:23] up on your screen. And this comes in the [00:24] wake of last week on May 1st, just a few [00:27] days ago, the UAE officially with drew [00:30] from OPEC, okay? And then we have these [00:32] Iranian drones hitting Fujairah. We'll [00:34] talk about Fujairah in a bit. [00:36] And on the same day the UAE announced [00:40] that it had intercepted [00:42] uh ballistic missiles, three Iranian [00:44] ballistic missiles. Here, take a look at [00:46] this at this story right here [00:49] uh that was posted to X. Just in UAE air [00:52] defenses are actively engaged in [00:54] suspected Iran engaging suspected [00:56] Iranian missiles. Iran has struck an [00:58] empty UAE oil tanker. Okay, so there've [01:01] been attacks from Iran on the UAE, and [01:03] this was from yesterday, but it also [01:04] continued today. [01:06] The UAE is under attack [01:09] from Iran, okay? So, we have those two [01:12] stories. [01:14] And on the same day that that happened, [01:16] the UAE signed one of the largest [01:18] military aircraft contracts in Middle [01:22] East history. Here, take a look at this [01:24] headline that went under everyone's [01:25] radar. UAE to get 10 C-390 aircraft up [01:31] to 10 more in the future. And this is a [01:33] Brazilian aircraft. It's a um [01:37] it's a uh it's a very important [01:39] aircraft. We're going to learn more [01:40] about it later in the video. But this is [01:42] a massive procurement deal of the UAE [01:45] purchasing this very advanced Brazilian [01:48] aircraft. So, all these things happened [01:51] in the space of about a week. Again, the [01:53] OPEC pullout [01:54] the missiles incoming from Iran, Iran [01:56] getting attacked. [01:58] Prime Minister Netanyahu [02:01] also called the leader of the UAE [02:05] to condemn the Iranian attacks and the [02:08] UAE made it public. They announced that [02:10] among the They announced that all these [02:12] leaders were calling to condemn the [02:14] attack and they mentioned that Prime [02:15] Minister Netanyahu called and spoke to [02:17] the leader of the UAE. [02:19] And these things are all interconnected. [02:23] And in this video, what I want to do now [02:25] is explain how they are all connected. [02:28] So, bear with me here. Here we go. We're [02:29] going to connect some dots. [02:31] Let's start with Netanyahu calling. [02:33] With this announcement by the UAE that [02:36] Netanyahu had called. Okay, let's take a [02:38] look at this story in the Times of [02:39] Israel. They covered it here. Take a [02:41] look at this headline. [02:43] UAE says Netanyahu among world leaders [02:48] who phoned [02:49] Emirati leader to condemn Iranian [02:52] attacks. Okay? [02:55] United Arab Emirates President Sheikh [02:56] Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan received [02:59] calls from regional leaders including [03:02] Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu [03:04] condemning what they described as [03:05] Iranian attacks on civilians and [03:07] civilian facilities in the UAE, the [03:09] state news agency WAM says. [03:13] The leaders affirmed their country's [03:14] solidarity with the UAE and support for [03:17] measures it takes to safeguard its [03:19] security and stability [03:21] and ensure the safety of its citizens. [03:23] And then it says that there was no [03:24] immediate comment from Netanyahu's [03:26] office. Okay? So, why am I connecting [03:30] all these things? What do all these [03:31] different stories have to do with each [03:33] other? [03:34] So again, let's start with the Netanyahu [03:35] call. [03:36] The fact that Netanyahu called is not in [03:39] itself surprising. [03:41] What's surprising and what's significant [03:45] is that the UAE told the world that [03:47] Netanyahu called. You see, they didn't [03:48] have to do that. They chose to. And that [03:51] choice is actually the key to [03:52] understanding everything that happened [03:54] this week. And now let's go ahead and [03:56] connect the dots. So there's a piece [03:58] written by my good friend Dan Bermoui. [04:00] You should be following him on X if you [04:02] aren't. He's one of the best analysts of [04:03] the Middle East out there. Former [04:04] Muslim, grew up in Jordan, now lives in [04:06] the West. He's now a Christian. [04:09] He really always hits the nail on the [04:10] head. And Dan wrote a piece [04:13] of last week, I think end of April, [04:16] April 28th, I think. [04:17] About the UAE and about the moves that [04:20] they've been making. And I think it [04:22] frames what's happening here better than [04:23] almost anything else I've read. He's In [04:25] that piece he was talking about the OPEC [04:27] announcement, the the exit of OPEC. [04:31] But he's really talking about something [04:32] a whole lot bigger. He writes that the [04:34] Abraham Accords, the normalization [04:35] agreement with Israel, was not primarily [04:38] a pragmatic calculation about economic [04:40] opportunity or regional stability. [04:42] In Dan's words, it was, quote, a [04:44] civilizational statement that said that [04:47] the UAE's primary reference community [04:51] was no longer the Arab world and its [04:53] accumulated grievances, [04:56] its shared narratives of dispossession [04:58] and resistance, [05:00] its consensus that the Palestinian cause [05:02] was the non-negotiable [05:04] litmus test of Arab political identity. [05:08] No, the normalization with Israel, says [05:10] Dan, [05:12] said that the UAE's reference community [05:14] was the club of states that prioritize [05:18] economic dynamism, [05:20] technological innovation, [05:22] security cooperation with the West, and [05:25] the realistic management of the present [05:28] over the romantic politics [05:31] of historical and theological grievance. [05:34] End quote from Dan. [05:37] Great quote. In other words, the UAE was [05:39] actually making a, as he calls it, a [05:41] civilizational choice, an ideological [05:43] choice to move away [05:44] from the traditional Muslim and Arab [05:48] grievance and theological animosity to [05:50] the West and trying to move towards a [05:53] brighter future of cooperation with the [05:56] West. And then he writes this, and I [05:58] want you to hear this line carefully. [06:00] Israel was not an exception to be [06:03] managed within Arab identity. [06:06] It is a It was a model to be emulated. A [06:09] small, technologically sophisticated, [06:12] militarily capable, economically dynamic [06:16] state that had built extraordinary power [06:19] from limited resources in a hostile [06:22] neighborhood. Abu Dhabi looked at Tel [06:24] Aviv and saw a mirror of its own [06:28] aspirations. That is a stunning [06:29] observation from Dan Bermant. And I [06:31] think it's correct. I think it explains [06:33] everything that happened this week. [06:35] Cuz here's what Iran understands, Iran, [06:37] even if Western analysts don't get it. [06:40] Iran is not attacking the UAE because of [06:44] a border dispute or an oil rivalry. It's [06:47] not about the Strait of Hormuz. Iran is [06:49] attacking the UAE because the Islamic [06:51] Republic knows exactly what the UAE has [06:54] become. [06:55] They're attacking what Dan calls, quote, [06:57] the extension of Western civilization in [06:59] the Arabian desert. An Arab Muslim state [07:02] that has looked at Israel, looked at the [07:04] West, and said, "This is our future, not [07:06] our past." Iran's entire founding [07:09] ideology exists to destroy that choice. [07:13] The Islamic Republic has defined itself [07:16] for 45 years [07:18] against exactly the civilizational [07:21] um [07:22] uh [07:24] choice [07:25] that the UAE is now embracing. [07:28] Modernity, openness, partnership with [07:30] Israel, integration with Washington. [07:32] When Iran fires missiles at Fujairah, [07:34] they're not just targeting an oil [07:36] terminal. [07:37] They're targeting a statement. They're [07:39] targeting a move that you the UAE is [07:42] making in a much broader sense. Now, let [07:44] me explain why Fujairah specifically [07:47] um matters [07:50] here. So, let's take a look at the map [07:52] and we'll see where Fujairah is. And [07:54] I've talked about this before, [07:55] but it bears repeating. Now, here's the [07:57] Strait of Hormuz. Here's the United Arab [07:59] Emirates, okay? [08:02] Like the tip here is part of Oman and [08:04] Oman's also under the line here. If we [08:07] zoom in a little bit more, you can see [08:08] it more clearly. Here's Fujairah. [08:11] Fujairah is right here. [08:13] And [08:14] there is a pipeline that brings oil from [08:17] the oil fields over here in in um in the [08:20] UAE and it brings them all the way over [08:22] to Fujairah and Khorfakkan, these two [08:25] places these two ports. And that way the [08:27] oil can go out into the Gulf of Oman, [08:30] into the [08:32] uh Arabian Sea, etc. They can go and [08:34] they don't need the Strait of Hormuz. [08:36] It's a bypass. They built the pipeline [08:39] as a bypass of the Strait of Hormuz. [08:43] Okay? [08:44] So, why is that significant right now? [08:48] So, [08:52] the the [08:54] the Iranians are trying to [08:57] hit Fujairah [08:59] because they want to prevent the UAE [09:03] from being able to ship oil. [09:06] And the the IRGC is basically saying, [09:09] "Hey, [09:10] this is under our control. [09:13] Your economy, the UAE, your economy [09:17] needs our permission to function." [09:19] That's kind of what they're saying here. [09:21] And the UAE's answer, delivered [09:24] uh basically on the same day as this, [09:27] is that they signed this big defense [09:29] contract to buy the C-390s. Now, let's [09:32] get to what those are. The C-390 [09:35] Millennium is a modern jet. [09:38] Um sorry, it's a modern [09:40] airplane. It's a jet-powered military [09:43] transport aircraft. It's huge. [09:45] It's faster and more capable than [09:47] anything currently in that role in the [09:49] region. Okay, this is a transport [09:51] aircraft. It can carry heavy cargo. It [09:53] can carry armored vehicles. [09:56] It can drop paratroopers. It can [09:58] air-drop supplies to troops on the [10:00] ground without landing. [10:02] It converts into a flying hospital for [10:04] mass casualty evacuation. [10:06] And critically, it can operate from [10:09] short unpaved runways, remote airstrips, [10:12] dispersed locations that aren't on [10:13] Iran's target list. [10:15] So, in a conflict like this one, where [10:17] the Iranians are targeting airbases, [10:21] they're targeting the main airbases in [10:22] the UAE, [10:24] the ability to disperse quickly with [10:28] move equipment around quickly to [10:30] locations that aren't pre-mapped [10:33] is a very important strategic ability. [10:36] And the UAE just purchased that ability, [10:39] but there's more to it than that. [10:41] The UAE negotiated for the maintenance [10:44] and repair infrastructure, for those [10:47] rights [10:49] to be built on Emirati soil. [10:53] Operated by an Emirati company. [10:55] You see, the way it works with aircraft [10:57] is that every few hundred [10:59] hours in the air, they need to be [11:02] maintained, and the maintenance is very [11:03] significant. They The planes basically [11:05] have to be taken apart and rebuilt. [11:08] And there and generally, if someone has, [11:11] let's say, American aircraft, they off [11:13] they usually would have to bring it all [11:15] the way back to the United States. [11:17] This isn't an American aircraft, it's [11:18] Brazilian, but the Emiratis also [11:20] negotiated that they would be able to [11:22] build repair and maintenance [11:23] infrastructure on Emirati soil. [11:26] Because the the uh the UAE is the first [11:29] country in the Middle East to get these [11:31] airplanes, [11:32] And they want to become the natural hub [11:34] for any other neighboring country, any [11:36] other country in the region that later [11:39] buys these airplane these airplanes. [11:41] So, they're not just purchasing the [11:43] planes, they want to become the center [11:46] of [11:47] of this defense [11:49] of this of this this very important [11:51] piece of equipment. They want to become [11:53] what everyone else [11:55] relies on. [11:56] So, they bought this from Brazil. That's [11:58] also very significant. It's not from the [12:00] United States. It's not European, it's [12:02] Brazilian. [12:03] So, think about that. The UAE will now [12:07] not be as dependent or they're signaling [12:10] that they're not going to be as [12:11] dependent on a single patron like the [12:14] United States. Usually for for most of [12:17] the recent history, the UAE has gotten [12:18] all of their equipment from the United [12:20] States. And now they're they're [12:22] basically showing that they're [12:23] diversifying. [12:24] Um [12:25] they're they're not going to rely on the [12:27] political goodwill of any one country. [12:31] So, if you put it all together, the OPEC [12:33] exit [12:34] signals that they want to be independent [12:37] uh of influence of the Saudis, of the [12:39] you know, they want to be able to [12:40] control their own destiny economically. [12:43] Uh buying these Brazilian aircraft [12:45] signals that they want to be more [12:46] militarily independent and be more of a [12:49] strategic leader in the in the region. [12:52] Uh and and this is all happening the [12:54] same week as they're getting attacked by [12:56] the Iranians. Now, let's come back to [12:58] the Netanyahu phone call. [13:00] I mentioned that it's the key to [13:01] understanding everything because I [13:02] really think that it [13:04] it what's significant here, as I said, [13:07] is not that Netanyahu made the call, [13:10] but it's that the UAE chose to publicize [13:13] it. The old Arab political order had one [13:16] absolute rule. Whatever else you do, you [13:19] don't publicly embrace Israel. The [13:21] Palestinian cause was, as Dan writes, [13:24] the non-negotiable litmus test of Arab [13:27] political identity, right? Any Arab [13:29] leader who broke [13:30] the rule and normalized with Israel [13:34] would pay for it politically, sometimes [13:36] physically, sometimes with their lives. [13:39] And the UAE normalized with Israel in [13:40] 2020. That was already massive. [13:43] But this week, while the Iranian [13:45] missiles were landing on their [13:46] territory, Netanyahu called and the UAE [13:49] told the world that he called. They put [13:51] it in a press release. They listed him [13:53] alongside the other world leaders who [13:56] called to condemn the attacks. They made [13:57] it official. They made it public. [14:01] Okay, this is this is In the Arab world, [14:04] this is actually much bigger than you [14:05] think. It might sound like a small thing [14:07] to you. [14:08] But there's like this taboo about even [14:10] if you make peace with Israel, there's [14:11] this taboo about counting them as a [14:13] friend. [14:15] And this is a big move by the UAE. Like [14:17] we don't care. We're going to tell [14:18] everyone that Netanyahu called to offer [14:20] his [14:21] you know, to offer his support. We're [14:23] not embarrassed by the relationship with [14:25] Israel. We're not managing it quietly. [14:27] We're proud of it. And we want Iran, the [14:29] Saudis, the Arab street, we want the [14:31] entire world to see it clearly. [14:34] See, the break with OPEC to make [14:36] themselves more independent [14:38] of these other Arab states, the other [14:40] Muslim states. [14:41] Uh [14:42] and now saying, "Yeah, Netanyahu [14:44] called." It's not insignificant. These [14:46] are big things. [14:47] And the and the purchase of the C-390s [14:50] from Brazil. Like, "Hey, we're we're [14:52] taking care of ourselves. We're we're [14:54] increasing our capabilities across the [14:55] region." Let's remember that the UAE [14:57] also supports [14:58] the uh the separatist rebels in in Yemen [15:01] in Yemen who who've been trying to fight [15:03] the Houthis. They also support [15:05] Somaliland against the Islamist Somalia. [15:08] Right? The UAE has spent the last decade [15:12] using its money and its military [15:13] capacity to dismantle [15:16] the Islamist political infrastructure [15:19] across [15:20] you you across the region in Yemen, in [15:22] Somalia, in Sudan, in Europe, [15:25] they treat political Islam in any [15:27] institutional form as an enemy, as a [15:31] civilizational enemy, rather than just, [15:33] you know, a another expression of Muslim [15:36] identity that is tolerated, which is the [15:38] way the other Muslim states, even the [15:40] ones that are generally considered [15:42] moderate, treat it. [15:43] The UAE has turned against it. [15:45] Right? There was that news story you [15:47] might remember where the UAE decided [15:48] that they're no longer giving uh giving [15:51] funding to their to their uh [15:54] college-age young people to study in the [15:56] UK universities because they're worried [15:58] about them getting radicalized by the [16:00] Muslim Brotherhood. Meaning, the UAE has [16:01] been pretty consistent. [16:03] They're anti-Islamist forces. [16:06] And having these [16:07] these C-390s means that they can support [16:11] the various groups, the various militias [16:12] that they're supporting across the [16:14] region, who are the anti-Islamist [16:15] militias, that they're going to be able [16:17] to support them much better. That's what [16:18] this type of aircraft does. It allows [16:20] you to provide much more support in [16:23] remote areas [16:25] with equipment, with personnel, [16:28] etc. [16:30] Uh so, it's a very valuable piece of [16:31] equipment for the UAE if they're trying [16:34] to project power across the region. [16:37] Now, [16:38] Danner Maui also writes that OPEC [16:41] was [16:43] was another institution that still had [16:45] this old identity. [16:47] And by leaving it, the UAE is saying [16:50] that they're no longer part of that. [16:54] Right? They And it's again, announcing [16:57] the the Netanyahu call. [17:00] It's along the same lines. Here's the [17:01] bottom line. [17:03] What we're watching here is not a series [17:05] of reactive moves by a small country [17:07] under pressure. [17:09] What what the UAE is doing is deliberate [17:11] and methodical, and it is [17:14] what they're doing is a an an an [17:16] transformation. [17:18] It's actually been underway slowly for [17:21] years, [17:22] but the Iran attacks, what's happened in [17:24] this war, has accelerated this process. [17:27] The UAE is basically saying, in every [17:30] way that it knows how to say it, that we [17:32] know what civilization we belong to. We [17:35] know who our enemies are, we know who [17:37] our partners are, and we are building [17:39] right now, with the missile while the [17:41] missiles are falling, [17:42] the military, economic, and diplomatic [17:45] architecture to defend that choice. Iran [17:48] wants the UAE to feel the cost of what [17:50] it has become and back down. [17:53] The UAE is signing contracts, [17:56] right? And it's and it is uh and it's [17:58] moving forward with this. This is really [18:01] I hope you understand what I what I what [18:02] I what I what I'm really putting forward [18:04] here [18:05] is that [18:06] you take these moves. Again, let's just [18:08] sum up. [18:09] Iran's attacking. [18:12] And [18:14] the UAE [18:16] leaves OPEC. [18:18] We're no longer going to be [18:20] controlled by other people's [18:22] decision-making, right? This is all a [18:23] move towards independence. And they look [18:25] at Israel, and they're proud of their [18:28] relationship with Israel, and they see [18:30] the US-Israel relationship. They see the [18:32] US frustration with so-called allies who [18:35] don't carry their own [18:38] who don't carry their own weight, [18:40] who don't actually chip in. [18:42] And they see how the U how the United [18:44] States is praising the Israelis for [18:46] actually, [18:47] you know, fighting. [18:50] And they want to become more [18:51] independent, too. They understand that [18:52] that's the best way to be, that that's [18:54] actually the best guarantee of their [18:55] future. [18:58] Right? They also don't know where it's [18:59] going to go with the US and its [19:00] relationships with Pakistan and [19:02] relationship with Saudi Arabia, and [19:04] relationship with Turkey. [19:06] The UAE is being very smart. And they're [19:08] and they're letting the world know, [19:09] we're are part of these cartels anymore. [19:12] We're not part of this group of Gulf [19:13] states that's all going to be governed [19:15] as protectorates of the United States. [19:17] No. [19:19] They are making choices to assert [19:21] themselves as a regional power. [19:23] They're making choices to show that [19:25] they're independent of this [19:27] old-fashioned Arab way of thinking that [19:29] is hamstrung by this need to virtue [19:32] signal over the Palestinians even though [19:34] they I say virtue signal because even [19:36] like all these all these countries like [19:37] Saudi Arabia that say oh Palestinians [19:39] state Palestinian state. They don't want [19:40] a Palestinian state. It'll be the worst [19:41] thing for them. [19:43] But they it's lip service that they you [19:44] know the UAE is saying we're not playing [19:46] those games anymore. [19:48] Um [19:49] and [19:50] uh and I think that's huge and I think [19:52] it should be commended and we should be [19:53] rooting for them. [19:55] And uh you know God bless them. God [19:56] bless the UAE for what you know for [19:58] everything that they're doing. [20:01] Um yeah, anyway that's what I wanted to [20:03] say. That's what I wanted to share with [20:04] you. I hope this made some sense. [20:06] Please make sure to share this video and [20:08] and and uh tell people about the [20:10] channel. [20:11] And uh please make sure that you're [20:13] subscribed to our newsletters Israel 365 [20:15] Action Israel 365 News. Go to [20:17] israel365action.com [20:19] to learn more about what that is what [20:21] Israel 365 Action is. 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