With Israel ties on the table, UAE offers Saudis an example

US President Donald Trump’s Gulf tour this week will take him to Saudi Arabia, which he would like see recognise Israel, and the neighbouring UAE which has benefitted from Israeli ties but also paid a price.

During his first term, Trump oversaw a series of normalisation deals between close ally Israel and several Arab countries, stunning public opinion in the Arab world and breaking with the long-held convention that a just resolution to the plight of Palestinians must precede relations with…