The United Arab Emirates has issued a stark warning to Israel, declaring that any move to annex the occupied West Bank would cross a “red line” and jeopardise the Abraham Accords, the 2020 agreement that normalised ties between the two countries.

Speaking on behalf of the UAE, senior foreign ministry official Lana Nusseibeh said annexation would severely undermine prospects for a two-state solution and mark the collapse of efforts to promote regional integration.

The Palestinian Authority welcomed the UAE’s stance.

Israel’s government has yet to respond to the remarks, which followed a controversial proposal by far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. He unveiled a plan that would see Israel apply sovereignty over roughly 82% of the West Bank, leaving isolated Palestinian enclaves around major cities such as Ramallah, Jenin, and Hebron.

Smotrich said the time had come to abandon the idea of a Palestinian state, presenting a map aligned with what he described as the goal of "maximum land with minimum Arabs."

Israel has established about 160 settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since occupying the territories during the 1967 Middle East war. These settlements—home to roughly 700,000 Israelis—are considered illegal under international law. The territory is also home to around 3.3 million Palestinians.

The 2020 Abraham Accords, brokered by the United States, saw the UAE, Bahrain, and Morocco recognise Israel in exchange for a halt to annexation plans under then-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Though Netanyahu agreed to “suspend” the plans, he maintained they remained “on the table.”

The current Israeli coalition government, dominated by pro-settler factions, has reportedly debated advancing annexation in response to recent moves by European countries—such as the UK and France—to recognise the State of Palestine.

Nusseibeh reaffirmed the UAE’s commitment to Palestinian statehood, warning that annexation would “end the pursuit of regional integration” and violate the principles of the Abraham Accords.

Meanwhile, international backlash is mounting. Smotrich’s annexation blueprint follows a wave of criticism over his previous approval of a controversial settlement project in the E1 area, which would cut off the West Bank from East Jerusalem.

The International Court of Justice recently ruled that Israel’s continued presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory is unlawful.

Source: BBC

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