TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – United Arab Emirates will not sever diplomatic relations with Israel, like a number of other countries following attacks on Gaza killed 11 thousand civilians. The Arab country hopes to have a moderating influence on Israel’s war while safeguarding its own interests, according to four sources familiar with government policy UEA.
Abu Dhabi became the most prominent Arab country to establish diplomatic relations with Israel in 30 years under the US-brokered Abraham Accords in 2020. This paved the way for other Arab countries to establish their ties with Israel despite breaking the taboo of normalizing relations with Israel. Israel without the creation of a Palestinian state.
The rising death toll from Israel’s invasion of the Gaza Strip – launched in retaliation for a cross-border attack on October 7, 2023 by the Hamas militant group that controls the territory – has sparked anger in the UAE.
UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan last month spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. UAE officials have publicly condemned Israel’s actions and repeatedly called for an end to the violence.
Responding to a request for comment on maintaining diplomatic relations with Israel, an Emirati official said the UAE’s top priority was securing a ceasefire and opening humanitarian corridors.
The Gulf Arab states, backed by their oil wealth, wield significant influence in regional affairs. The country also serves as a security partner of the United States, hosting American troops.
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In addition to talks with Israel, the UAE has sought to moderate the public positions taken by Arab states so that after the war ends there is the possibility of a return to broad dialogue, said four sources who asked not to be named due to the sensitivity of the issue.
Sheikh Mohamed on Thursday with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to discuss calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, amid Qatari-brokered talks for the release of a number of hostages.
“The UAE and Qatar are adamant about the need to advance de-escalation efforts and ensure just, lasting and comprehensive peace in the region,” Sheikh Mohamed said on social media after their discussions.
Despite closer economic and security ties with Israel over the past three years, Abu Dhabi has had little success in curbing attacks on Gaza, which have led to the deaths of more than 11,000 people. Hamas killed about 1,400 people in its surprise attack on Israel and about 240 hostages, Israeli authorities said.
Amid the standoff, the UAE is growing frustrated with its most important security partner, Washington, which it believes is not applying enough pressure to end the war, the four sources said.
Anwar Gargash, the UAE president’s diplomatic adviser, said this week that Washington needed to end the conflict quickly and begin the process of resolving the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian issue by dealing with refugees, the border and East Jerusalem.
The UAE has publicly expressed concern that the war now risks triggering regional tensions and a new wave of extremism in the Middle East.
Speaking on October 18 at the UN Security Council, where the UAE holds a rotating seat, Ambassador Lana Nusseibeh said that Abu Dhabi has sought through the Abraham Accords with Israel and the United States to bring about prosperity and security in the new Middle East through cooperation. and live side by side peacefully.
“The indiscriminate destruction inflicted on the people of Gaza in an effort to maintain Israel’s security risks destroying those hopes,” he said.
A senior European official told Reuters that Arab countries now realize that it is impossible to build relations with Israel without addressing the Palestinian issue. Israel’s foreign ministry declined to comment for this story.
The UAE continues to receive Israeli ambassadors and there is no prospect of ending diplomatic ties, which is Abu Dhabi’s long-term strategic priority, the sources said.
The deal was motivated in part by shared concerns over the threat posed by Iran, as well as Abu Dhabi’s economically driven foreign policy adjustments. The UAE views Iran as a threat to regional security, although in recent years it has taken diplomatic steps to ease tensions.
Israel and the UAE have developed close economic and security ties in the three years since normalization, including defense cooperation. Israel supplied the UAE with air defense systems following missile and drone attacks on Abu Dhabi in early 2022 by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement.
Bilateral trade has exceeded $6 billion since 2020, according to Israeli government data. Israeli tourists flock to hotels, beaches and shopping malls in the UAE, which is an OPEC oil power and regional business hub.
REUTERS
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