Thread by @sfrantzman

Thread/ 🇮🇱 🇲🇦 🇧🇭 🇦🇪 🇸🇩 The way people discuss the normalization deals with Israel ignores an elephant in the room: normalization should be normal, almost all other countries have relations, this should have happened decades ago

That the US 🇺🇸 appears to trade things to get countries to normalize does it reflect badly on the US. It found this transactional diplomacy to work, but it shouldn’t need to be this way, normalization is the basis.

I see all these odd tweets remarking on “Bahrain didn’t get anything”...but Bahrain did what was right, which normalization and coexistence, that’s a good thing. Lack of normalization didn’t pressure Israel to change. No countries change through isolation, it only helps hardliner

Would anyone suggest that countries should have no diplomatic relations with Iran just due to the regime? No. Only with Israel is their this weird assertion they it’s normal for countries not to have relations

I spent a few days in Dubai after the normalization and saw how normal it is, how what is inspiring is also natural, of course Israelis should be able to travel everywhere, why would they be punished just due to policies of their government?

The basic thing is diplomatic relations. Then building on that is another issue. That the US sought to find ways to get this done through transactional diplomacy is merely a commentary on how unnatural this lack of normal ties was

It’s a product of a 1950s mentality. This lack of normalization. It’s about being trapped in a past when extremism though one can simply nor recognize a country. That’s wrong. Israel is a thriving fascinating country, if it’s government policies are wrong sometimes, that’s normal

What is NOT NORMAL is lack of normalization...and it is good that countries are going to have connections to Israel. It’s 50 years too late. But better late than not.

I find it odd that many of those who would say “we must engage with Iran” or “diplomacy, not war”....tend to mock these normalization deals or even oppose them. Odd. Hypocritical.