Relations between the UAE and the State of Israel go back many years, though not until this month were they made “official.” In the past, officials from both countries would meet in the US or European capitals to discuss common interests and enemies.

Already in mid-June, we got hints that a deal was in the works when Emirati Foreign Minister Ahmed Gargash published an article in the Hebrew-language newspaper Yediot Aharonot in which he told Israelis directly: “If there is no annexation, then there will be everything.”

Frankly, Netanyahu’s decision to go down the “path of war,” or rather, the path of annexation, which many of his political colleagues repeatedly rejected in the past, surprised many, including those in his inner circle. Now, some are wondering if he really intended to go through with the annexation, or if it was a clever chess move to get Israel closer to the alternative goal of normalization.

Why this move was important to Israel is quite clear. But it is equally important to understand why it was important to the...