Consider the following statements:
Statement-I: Israel has established diplomatic relations with some Arab States.
Statement-II: The ‘Arab Peace Initiative’ mediated by Saudi Arabia was signed by Israel and Arab League.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
(a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I
(b) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I
(c) Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect
(d) Statement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct
The correct answer is (b).
Explanation
Statement-I is correct. Israel has established diplomatic relations with some Arab States, including Egypt, Jordan, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Sudan, and Morocco.
Statement-II is also correct. The ‘Arab Peace Initiative’ was a proposal for peace between Israel and the Arab world that was put forward by Saudi Arabia in 2002. The initiative called for full normalization of relations between Israel and all Arab states in exchange for Israel’s full withdrawal from the occupied territories and a just solution to the Palestinian refugee problem.
While Statement-II is correct, it is not the correct explanation for Statement-I. The establishment of diplomatic relations between Israel and some Arab States was not a direct result of the ‘Arab Peace Initiative’. However, the initiative did help to create a more favorable environment for normalization of relations between Israel and the Arab world.
In addition to the countries mentioned above, Israel has also established unofficial ties with some other Arab States, such as Oman and Qatar. These ties are often kept secret due to the sensitivity of the issue of normalization of relations between Israel and the Arab world.
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