JERUSALEM (AP) — The United Arab Emirates’ ambassador to the U.S. on Friday warned Israel against annexing parts of the occupied West Bank, saying the move would “upend” Israel’s efforts to improve ties with Arab countries.
UAE envoy Yousef Al Otaiba was among three Arab ambassadors who attended President Donald Trump’s January unveiling of his Mideast plan, which allows Israel to annex around 30% of the West Bank and was immediately rejected by the Palestinians.
In an editorial published by Israel’s Yediot Aharonot newspaper, Al Otaiba warned that Israel’s planned annexation — a process that could begin as soon as July 1 — would “ignite violence and rouse extremists.”
“It will send shock waves around the region, especially in Jordan whose stability — often taken for granted — benefits the entire region, particularly Israel,” Al Otaiba wrote.
The UAE, a close and influential U.S. military ally, has been a major focus of Israel’s efforts in recent years to quietly improve ties with Gulf Arab countries that share its concerns about Iran.
The two countries have no formal diplomatic ties, but the Emirates have allowed Israeli officials to visit, and the Israeli national anthem was played after an athlete won gold in an Abu Dhabi judo tournament. Israel also has a small mission representing its interests at the International Renewable Energy Agency in Abu Dhabi.
Al Otaiba warned that moving ahead with annexation would be a major setback.
“Annexation will certainly and immediately upend Israeli aspirations for improved security, economic and cultural ties with the Arab world and with UAE,” he wrote.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to annex the Jordan Valley, which makes up around a quarter of the West Bank, as well as Israel’s far-flung Jewish settlements. That would make it virtually impossible to establish a viable Palestinian state alongside Israel, which is still widely seen as the only way to resolve the conflict.
The Palestinians want a state in the occupied West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem, territories seized by Israel in the 1967 war. The Trump plan would give them a limited form of statehood in scattered enclaves surrounded by Israel if they meet a long list of conditions.
Arab countries have welcomed the Trump administration’s efforts but have rejected the plan itself, reaffirming their support for a two-state solution based on the 1967 lines.
“In the UAE and across much of the Arab world, we would like to believe Israel is an opportunity, not an enemy. We face too many common dangers and see the great potential of warmer ties,” Al Otaiba wrote.
“Israel’s decision on annexation will be an unmistakable signal of whether it sees it the same way.”