The United Arab Emirates may downgrade its diplomatic ties with Israel if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government annexes part or all of the West Bank, but it is not weighing the option of severing them completely, according to three sources briefed on the Gulf Arab state’s deliberations.
This is despite Emirati foreign ministry official Lana Nusseibeh telling The Times of Israel on September 3 that any annexation would be a “red line,” jeopardize the Abraham Accords, and end the pursuit of regional integration. Israel’s government has recently taken steps that could presage annexation of the West Bank, which was captured from Jordan along with East Jerusalem in a war in 1967. The United Nations and most countries oppose such a move.
The UAE, which established ties with Israel in 2020 under the Abraham Accords, is considering withdrawing its ambassador in any response, the sources tell Reuters.The sources, all speaking on condition of anonymity, say Abu Dhabi is not considering completely severing ties, although tensions have mounted during the almost two-year-old Gaza war.
A source in Israel says the government believes it can repair its strained ties with the UAE, a major commercial center seen as the most significant of the Arab states to establish ties with Israel in 2020. The others were Bahrain and Morocco. The UAE foreign ministry does not respond to questions on whether it is weighing downgrading diplomatic ties with Israel. The spokesperson at the Israeli embassy in Abu Dhabi says that Israel is committed to the Abraham Accords and that it will continue to work toward strengthening ties with the UAE. (Source)
