DUBAI: The United Arab Emirates has warned Israel that any move to annex territory in the occupied West Bank would cross a “red line” and risk undermining the Abraham Accords, the landmark deal that normalised relations between the two countries.
The warning came on Wednesday as US President Donald Trump sought to expand the accords during his current term. However, efforts have stalled amid mounting global criticism of Israel’s conduct in the ongoing Gaza conflict.
The UAE’s remarks follow Israeli far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s August announcement that work would begin on a long-delayed settlement project intended to divide the West Bank and cut it off from East Jerusalem. Smotrich has also openly called for full annexation of the territory.
“From the very beginning, we viewed the Accords as a way to support the Palestinian people and their legitimate aspiration for an independent state,” said Lana Nusseibeh, UAE Assistant Minister for Political Affairs and Envoy of the Foreign Minister, in an interview with Reuters. “We call on the Israeli government to suspend these settlement plans.”
Nusseibeh stressed that annexation “would constitute a red line for the United Arab Emirates,” warning it would undermine both the “vision and spirit” of the accords and derail hopes for deeper regional integration.
Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office did not respond to requests for comment. On Wednesday, Smotrich confirmed that maps for annexation were being drawn up, though it remains unclear if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has endorsed the plan.
