The Six-Day War broke out in 1967 because of the Straits of Tiran. Some 50 years after that war, the two islands in those straits, Tiran and Sanafir, have played an important role in bolstering the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty and in the deepening, albeit low-profile, rapprochement between Israel and Saudi Arabia. In May 1967, Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser closed the straits to Israeli shipping. He hoped this would economically suffocate Israel's southern city of Eilat just as it was becoming the Israel's gateway to the Africa and the Far East. Egypt said it had the right to deny Israeli passage because it had sovereignty over Sanafir and Tiran. Those two uninhabited islands were originally part of Saudi Arabia, which did not consider them of any importance. But in the 1950s, when Cairo wanted to bolster its presence in southern Sinai and in the Gulf of Eilat, the kingdom agreed to hand the islands over to Egypt. An Egyptian naval blockade on Eilat soon followed, contributing to Israel's decision to launch Operation Kadesh (the Sinai Campaign) in 1956, culminating with international guarantees that ensured free passage through the straits. Speaking to the victorious Israeli troops, then-Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion said Israel had a historic claim to Tiran, as there were historical accounts of Jews living there during the Second Temple period. Ultimately, though, the international guarantees proved ineffective. In 1967, Israel asked the U.S. to intervene to make Nasser lift the blockade, but Washington said there was no written commitment on that matter. As we all know, Israel had to resort to force and the two Islands fell under Israeli control during the Six-Day War. They were returned after the 1979 Israeli-Egyptian peace treaty. For the Saudis, the fate of the islands was a marginal issue in the grand scheme of things, considering that their relations with Egypt have always had their ups and downs, with occasional major spats. Riyadh even cut off ties with Cairo after the latter signed a peace treaty with Israel, although relations have never fully unraveled. The shifting sands in the region have brought the two countries together. This time, though, their shared concern isn't Israel. In fact, the renewed cooperation is very much in line with Israel's vested interests. The new Egyptian-Saudi partnership is necessary if there is to be a moderate axis of Sunni-Arab states to counter the radicalized forces in Egypt and Saudi Arabia. This cooperation is also an important counterweight to Iran, which Saudi Arabia considers a major threat. The axis is particularly important because Washington has turned a cold shoulder to its friends in the region and has resisted any form of commitment, lest it once again have to invest heavy resources in the region (as was the case in Iraq). Economics and defense will serve as the cement for the intercontinental bridge planned over the Red Sea. Saudi Arabia and Egypt have also agreed to redraw their maritime borders, changing the ownership of the two islands. To finalize this, they needed Israel's approval, because it affects the peace treaty with Egypt. Jerusalem was more than happy to accommodate their request. This involved indirect and informal contact between Israel and Saudi Arabia, but such contact is not rare. By engaging Israel, Saudi Arabia essentially vowed to comply with the terms of the Egyptian peace treaty with Israel. That treaty mandates that these two islands remain demilitarized. The treaty also led to the creation of an international peacekeeping force to ensure free passage through the straits. An Israeli-Turkish rapprochement and an Egyptian-Turkish rapprochement (if that happens) will bolster this emerging axis of stability and security. This axis will help all moderate forces meet the regional challenges they face.
Back to the Straits of Tiran
פרופ' אייל זיסר
פרופ' אייל זיסר הוא מומחה למזה"ת ואפריקה וסגן הרקטור באוניברסיטת תל אביב
