In a rare rebuke, the United Arab Emirates on Monday warned that any moves to change the historic identity of Jerusalem threaten peace, and called on Israel to put an end to violence following the latest clashes between Israelis and Palestinians in the city.
The UAE Foreign Ministry said in a statement, carried on the Emirates' state news agency, that it was concerned over "acts of violence committed by right-wing extremist groups in the occupied East Jerusalem." The ministry called on Israeli authorities to "assume responsibility toward de-escalation and putting an end to all aggressions and practices that perpetuate tension and hostility."
The UAE cautioned it was necessary to preserve Jerusalem's historical identity and maintain "maximum self-restraint to avoid the region slipping into new levels of instability in a way that threatens peace."