Now, as Egyptian President Abdel Fatah Al-Sisi announced his country had redrawn its naval borders with Saudi and conceded the islands of Sanafir and Tiran, it has become evident that Saudi was in talks with Egypt. There are not many complications surrounding the matter of the islands which Israel occupied in 1967.

Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Ya’alon announced last Tuesday that there were talks between Israel, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the US. Saudi had guaranteed Israel safe passage through the islands in return for the latter’s agreement for a Saudi-Egyptian bridge.

“[There has been] an agreement between Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Israel and the United States to transfer the responsibility of the islands,” Ya’alon said. “Israel has also agreed to the construction of a bridge as part of Saudi Arabia’s development plans on the two islands.”

At the same day, former Egyptian official Abdullah Al-Ashaal said that in the Israeli-Egyptian peace agreement, Cairo promised to respect freedom of shipping in Israel’s Eilat, a commitment that Saudi Arabia said it will uphold when it takes over the islands.

This implies that Saudi has committed to the terms of the peace agreement as it has taken ownership of lands covered by the treaty.

Now, Camp David has completely changed. Most of the Arabs who rejected it currently accept it with the most prominent opposing side; Saudi Arabia, now part of it.

– Read more: New Camp David with a Saudi Touch – Motasem A Dalloul – MEMO