UAE Official Says West Bank Settlement Plans 'Red Line' For Abu Dhabi

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times)

A senior UAE official warned Israel on Wednesday that any annexation of the West Bank“would constitute a red line that would severely undermine the vision and spirit of Abraham Accords, end the pursuit of regional integration, and would alter the widely-shared consensus on what the trajectory of this conflict should be - two states living side by side in peace, prosperity, and security.”

This comes following a report on Monday that Israel is considering annexation in the occupied West Bank as a possible response to France and other countries recognising a Palestinian state.

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In a statement sent to Khaleej Times by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFa), Lana Nusseibeh, Assistant Minister for Political Affairs and MoFA Envoy, said:“The start should be the end of the war in Gaza, securing the release of all hostages, and ensuring that Hamas is disarmed and no longer able to control Gaza or its people.

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“But it cannot stop there,” she underscored, adding:“What follows must change the trajectory of this conflict and deliver a genuine horizon to two states, which requires the restoration of law and order in Gaza, credible and reformed Palestinian governance, and the reunification of Gaza and the West Bank.”

Reuters early this week quoted a member of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's small circle of ministers saying that the extension of Israeli sovereignty to the West Bank was on the agenda of Netanyahu's security cabinet meeting early this week.

Peace requires courage, persistence

Nusseibeh, in her statement on Wednesday, said:“We call on the Israeli government to suspend these plans. Extremists, of any kind, cannot be allowed to dictate the region's trajectory. Peace requires courage, persistence, and a refusal to let violence define our choices.

She noted:“Annexation in the West Bank would constitute a red line for the UAE.”

The Abraham Accords - signed during US President Donald Trump's first term in office back in September 2020 - saw the UAE, Bahrain, and Morocco normalise diplomatic relations with Israel after mediation by the American government.

Nusseibeh reiterated“Abraham Accords were built on a vision of peace anchored in prosperity, coexistence, and tolerance. For the UAE, they reflected a conviction that the Middle East could move beyond conflict toward a more stable and hopeful future.

“When we signed the Abraham Accords, our Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan described them as the beginning of a“new trend” toward a better Middle East. At that moment, he thanked Prime Minister Netanyahu for halting annexation of Palestinian territory - a decision he said reinforced“our shared will to achieve a better future for generations to come,” Nusseibeh recalled.

Aspiration for independent state

“From the very beginning,” Nusseibeh added,“we viewed the Accords as a way to enable our continued support for the Palestinian people and their legitimate aspiration for an independent state. That was our position in 2020, and it remains our position today.”

Nusseibeh warned proposals to annex parts of the West Bank are“part of an effort that would, in the words of an Israeli minister, bury the idea of a Palestinian state.”

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