There is only one explanation for the normalization deals between Arab states and Israel: the geopolitical position of Iran.

Neera Tanden’s high-level nomination to OMB under Joe Biden is in trouble — partly because her think tank the center for American Progress received UAE millions and then may have toned down its criticism, including of the Saudi murder of Jamal Khashoggi.

Netanyahu’s reported historic meeting with the Saudi crown prince this morning in Saudi Arabia at the behest of U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is a power move. The Saudi monarchy gets Israel lobby on its side to counter Biden’s human rights objections. Israel gets Saudi ally to help tie Biden’s hands against reentering Iran deal as posing a threat to peace in the Middle East.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly traveled to Saudi Arabia on Sunday night for a secret meeting with the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

The struggle for Palestine is inextricably linked to the struggle against the authoritarian regimes in the Middle East. Recent moves by Gulf monarchies to normalize with Israel will only make their rule more unpopular and empower the BDS movement.

46 years ago, the Arab League led the way in recognizing the PLO as “the sole, legitimate representative of the Palestinian people,” but today those same states are leading the drive toward normalization with Israel. The Arab League appears to have abandoned the Palestinians.

Earlier this month, Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL) introduced a bill with potentially far-reaching and unprecedented implications for Israel’s ability to nix US weapons sales to the Middle East. H.R.8494, the Guaranteeing Israel’s QME Act of 2020, would mandate the president to consult the Israeli government “for information regarding Israel’s qualitative military edge” before the selling weapons to other Middle Eastern countries.

The United States has the dubious distinction of being the world’s leading arms dealer. It dominates the global trade in a historic fashion and nowhere is that domination more complete than in the Middle East.

Robert Vitalis’s new book, “Oilcraft” argues the US militarization of the Arabian Gulf is based on false ideas about controlling oil. But history shows this control is central to maintaining hegemony, which is the US goal.

The deals with the UAE and Bahrain show Israel’s economic power and favor in Washington–and expose its persecution of Palestinians in the name of “the one and only Jewish state,” as Netanyahu describes his country.