UAE official warns West Bank settlement plans are 'red line' for Abu Dhabi
A Palestinian looks at Israeli flags placed over a house which was taken over by Israeli settlers in the old city, in Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, on Sep 3, 2025. (Photo: REUTERS/Mussa Qawasma)
DUBAI: The United Arab Emirates warned Israel on Wednesday (Sep 3) that any annexation of the West Bank would constitute a red line for Abu Dhabi that would severely undermine the spirit of the Abraham Accords that normalised relations between the two countries.
"From the very beginning, we viewed the Accords as a way to enable our continued support for the Palestinian people and their legitimate aspiration for an independent state," Lana Nusseibeh, Assistant Minister for Political Affairs and Envoy of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the UAE, told Reuters.
"That was our position in 2020, and it remains our position today."
The comments marked the UAE's strongest criticism of Israel's conduct since the start of the Gaza war in 2023.
In August, Israeli far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced that work would start on a long-delayed settlement that would divide the West Bank and cut it off from East Jerusalem, a move his office said would "bury" the idea of a Palestinian state.
The Palestinian government, allies and campaign groups condemned the project, calling it illegal and saying the fragmentation of territory would rip up any peace plans for the region.
"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," said Nusseibeh.
The Abraham Accords, signed during President Donald Trump's first term in office, saw the UAE, Bahrain and Morocco normalise diplomatic relations with Israel after US mediation.
Trump had hoped he could persuade Saudi Arabia, a deeply influential regional country that is home to some of Islam's holiest sites, to also normalise ties with Israel and ease its isolation in the region.
But Israel's war in Gaza, which has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, demolished the enclave and created a humanitarian disaster, focused attention away from Trump's efforts.
The Israeli prime minister's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the UAE's remarks.
