The United Arab Emirates (UAE) stated that Israeli annexation of the occupied West Bank would cross the “red line” for Abu Dhabi. The UAE said such a move would seriously damage the spirit of the Abraham Accords, the agreement that normalized relations between Israel and the UAE.
The UAE is the most important of the three Arab states that signed the accords with Israel when Donald Trump was U.S. president. Its comments mark the strongest criticism of Israel by Abu Dhabi since the Gaza war broke out in 2023, after Hamas launched a deadly cross-border attack.
Abraham Accords: UAE Accuse Israel of Breaching Conditions
Trump has been trying to expand the accords to include more countries, especially Saudi Arabia. But those efforts have stalled as international anger has grown over Israel’s handling of the Gaza war.
In August, Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced that construction would begin on a long-delayed settlement project. The plan would split the West Bank and cut it off from East Jerusalem. His office said the move would “bury” the idea of a Palestinian state.
The Palestinian Authority, which has partial control in the West Bank, and its allies, including rights groups, strongly opposed the project. They called it illegal and warned that dividing the land would destroy any chance for peace. Smotrich has also pushed for Israel to annex the West Bank outright.
UAE Urges Israel to Halt Activities in West Bank
Lana Nusseibeh, the UAE’s Assistant Minister for Political Affairs, told Reuters that the accords were always meant to help support the Palestinian people and their right to an independent state.
“We call on Israel to stop these plans,” she said. “Extremists must not be allowed to control the future of the region. Real peace takes courage, patience, and the will to reject violence.”
Nusseibeh stressed that annexing the West Bank would cross a “red line” for the UAE and would severely damage both the “vision and spirit” of the Abraham Accords. It would also end hopes for deeper regional cooperation.
Israel’s prime minister’s office did not immediately respond to the UAE’s comments.
Earlier, Qatar had said Israel does not want peace in Gaza and accused Benjamin Netanyahu of committing genocide of Palestinians in the war-torn city.
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