Dubai, United Arab Emirates – An Emirati official confirmed on Wednesday that Israel’s efforts to annex lands in the occupied West Bank constitute a “red line” for the UAE.
“Annexation of lands in the West Bank would be a red line for the UAE,” UAE Assistant Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Lana Nusseibeh said in a statement obtained by AFP.
The UAE called on Israel to halt its annexation plans in the occupied area. They warned that these plans would seriously undermine the Abraham Accords. These accords established relations between the two sides in 2020, according to Nusseibeh.
The Emirati official said, “From the beginning, we viewed the agreements as a means to continue supporting the Palestinian people. This support included their legitimate aspirations to establish an independent state in the West Bank.”
She added, “The proposals to annex parts of the area, which are said to be under discussion within the Israeli government, are part of an effort. This effort is aimed, in the words of one Israeli minister, at burying the idea of a Palestinian state.”
Undermining the Abraham Accords
She considered that annexation “would severely undermine the vision and spirit of the agreements and end efforts at regional integration. It would also alter the broad consensus on the path this conflict should take. This path involves the establishment of two states living side by side in peace, prosperity, and security.”
Last month, Israel approved a massive settlement project east of Jerusalem in the West Bank. This project, located in an area the international community has warned threatens the chances of establishing a future Palestinian state.
Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said the project aims to “bury the idea of a Palestinian state.”
“We call on the Israeli government to suspend these plans. Extremists, from any side, cannot be allowed to determine the course of the region,” Nusseibeh added.
Britain and France were among 21 countries that signed a joint statement. This statement declared Israel’s approval of the project “unacceptable and a violation of international law.”
