The United Arab Emirates has issued a stern warning against Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's call for imposing full sovereignty over Judea and Samaria, labeling it a "red line" that could severely damage the Abraham Accords. Senior UAE Foreign Ministry official Lana Nusseibeh told Reuters that such a move would represent a "strategic loss" for the region, emphasizing that while normalization with Israel remains a core strategic choice for the Emirates, they cannot accept steps that contradict the spirit of the peace agreements.
Smotrich, head of the far-right Religious Zionism party, made his remarks earlier today, declaring, “The time has come to apply full sovereignty in Judea and Samaria.” His statement has sparked immediate backlash, not only from the UAE but also amid broader regional concerns about escalating tensions in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Abraham Accords, signed in 2020, normalized relations between Israel and several Arab states, including the UAE, Bahrain, and Morocco, marking a significant shift in Middle Eastern diplomacy. (Read More)