With or without normalization, expert on Gulf sees Israel as regional peacemaker – In new book on Middle East’s changing alliances, Sigurd Neubauer explores Jerusalem’s little-known role as mediator in rivalries between Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, Bahrain and Qatar | Timesofisrael

One may be tempted to think Sigurd Neubauer’s new book on Israel’s relations with Arab Gulf states was doomed to become antiquated even before it came out.
The official publication date for “The Gulf Region and Israel: Old Struggles, New Alliances” was September 1 — two weeks after the United Arab Emirates surprisingly announced that it had agreed to normalize relations with Israel, and two weeks before both countries signed a historic peace agreement at the White House lawn. In between, Bahrain also agreed to establish diplomatic relations with Israel.