Kuwait prohibits the entry of Israeli products, there is a ban on entry for people with Israeli passports, and even those whose passports have been stamped in Israel are not allowed to enter the ciuntry. Why is Kuwait the last Gulf state to normalize its relations with Israel?
The reports in the Israeli media about the possibility that Saudi Arabia will take measured steps toward Israel will require discussion in Kuwait, a small but rich emirate that does not usually make headlines in Israel.
Overall, the Gulf states' attitude toward Israel is dynamic, with some changes a result of various internal conditions affecting their strategic choices. Kuwait, which has objected to the process of normalization with Israel, is likely to be the last among its neighbors to take this path.
Strong pro-Palestinian sentiment and a unique governmental structure in Kuwait are the principal factors responsible. In Kuwait, more than in any other Arab country, there is a parliament that holds extensive powers and gives great weight to the opposition, which is largely decidedly opposed to Israel. Due to the structure of government, the monarchy is forced to compromise with the opposition, which comprises supporters of Arab nationalism and political Islam.
Since relations between Israel and Qatar and Oman warmed in the 1990s and particularly since the signing of the Abraham Accords, the parliament in Kuwait has repeatedly expressed widespread opposition to any move in a similar direction. The government has even been forced to block an attempt to impose criminal sanctions against establishing ties with Israel.
Commitment to the Palestinian issue remains central, both among the educated class and in broad public opinion. Even if there is a desire for qualified support for the processes of normalization with Israel, people usually refrain from saying so in public. Occasionally, Kuwaiti liberals express positive opinions about ties with Israel, but they do not enjoy broad public support.
Kuwait was once home to a small Jewish community, which apparently migrated due to the economic crisis of the 1930s.
In contrast, the Palestinian community (the largest foreign community in Kuwait) peaked at about 400,000 in the 1980s. It also integrated into senior positions in the developing country and some even received Kuwaiti citizenship.
Due to the PLO's support for Saddam Hussein during the 1991 Gulf War, most of the Palestinians were expelled, and relations with the Palestinian leadership were severed. Relations were renewed only after Yasir Arafat's death. At the same time, the Palestinian consciousness was rooted in the process of the growth of the Kuwaiti state.
Another issue standing between Kuwait and warmer relations with Israel is the position of its monarchical neighbors, especially Saudi Arabia, which has close historical ties with Kuwait. Officially, Riyadh remains committed to the terms of the Arab Peace Initiative and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.
What might change the position in Kuwait? A measured Saudi rapprochement with Israel, accompanied by American pressure on the royal house in Kuwait, may affect the position of the emirate, which refuses to compromise and holds the most hawkish line toward Israel among the Gulf states.
Kuwait prohibits the entry of Israeli products, there is a ban on entry for people with Israeli passports, and even those whose passports have been stamped in Israel are not allowed to enter the ciuntry. Why is Kuwait the last Gulf state to normalize its relations with Israel?
The reports in the Israeli media about the possibility that Saudi Arabia will take measured steps toward Israel will require discussion in Kuwait, a small but rich emirate that does not usually make headlines in Israel.
Overall, the Gulf states' attitude toward Israel is dynamic, with some changes a result of various internal conditions affecting their strategic choices. Kuwait, which has objected to the process of normalization with Israel, is likely to be the last among its neighbors to take this path.
Strong pro-Palestinian sentiment and a unique governmental structure in Kuwait are the principal factors responsible. In Kuwait, more than in any other Arab country, there is a parliament that holds extensive powers and gives great weight to the opposition, which is largely decidedly opposed to Israel. Due to the structure of government, the monarchy is forced to compromise with the opposition, which comprises supporters of Arab nationalism and political Islam.
Since relations between Israel and Qatar and Oman warmed in the 1990s and particularly since the signing of the Abraham Accords, the parliament in Kuwait has repeatedly expressed widespread opposition to any move in a similar direction. The government has even been forced to block an attempt to impose criminal sanctions against establishing ties with Israel.
Commitment to the Palestinian issue remains central, both among the educated class and in broad public opinion. Even if there is a desire for qualified support for the processes of normalization with Israel, people usually refrain from saying so in public. Occasionally, Kuwaiti liberals express positive opinions about ties with Israel, but they do not enjoy broad public support.
Kuwait was once home to a small Jewish community, which apparently migrated due to the economic crisis of the 1930s.
In contrast, the Palestinian community (the largest foreign community in Kuwait) peaked at about 400,000 in the 1980s. It also integrated into senior positions in the developing country and some even received Kuwaiti citizenship.
Due to the PLO's support for Saddam Hussein during the 1991 Gulf War, most of the Palestinians were expelled, and relations with the Palestinian leadership were severed. Relations were renewed only after Yasir Arafat's death. At the same time, the Palestinian consciousness was rooted in the process of the growth of the Kuwaiti state.
Another issue standing between Kuwait and warmer relations with Israel is the position of its monarchical neighbors, especially Saudi Arabia, which has close historical ties with Kuwait. Officially, Riyadh remains committed to the terms of the Arab Peace Initiative and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.
What might change the position in Kuwait? A measured Saudi rapprochement with Israel, accompanied by American pressure on the royal house in Kuwait, may affect the position of the emirate, which refuses to compromise and holds the most hawkish line toward Israel among the Gulf states.