UAE: Red Line for Israeli Annexation of West Bank

The United Arab Emirates has warned Israel that any annexation of the West Bank constitutes a red line for Abu Dhabi and would undermine the spirit of the Abraham Accords, which normalized relations between the two countries.

Lana Nusseibeh, UAE Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs, stated that the Emirates view the Accords as a way to facilitate their continued support for the Palestinian people and their legitimate expectation of an independent state. This position has remained consistent since 2020.

These comments represent the strongest criticism from the UAE towards Israel since the war in Gaza in 2023. Under the Abraham Accords, the UAE, Bahrain, and Morocco normalized relations with Israel through US mediation.

Nusseibeh called on the Israeli government to halt annexation plans, emphasizing that extremists should not be allowed to dictate the region's course.

Source: APE-MPE-Reuters-AFP