A senior official at the United Arab Emirates' Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that the Gulf state has received assurances from Jerusalem and Washington that Israel will not go through with its plan to annex settlements in the West Bank and the strategic Jordan Valley.
Director of Policy Planning Department at the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs Jamal Al Musharakh initially said Israeli annexation would not lead to the collapse of the nascent normalization agreement between the two countries, despite the condition being an integral part of the agreement when it was announced on August 13.
4 View gallery
Israeli National Security Advisor Meir Ben Shabbat meeting with his Emirati counterpart Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi on Monday
(Photo: GPO)
A later statement from the Emirati Foreign Ministry clarified, however, that the bilateral agreement is indeed contingent upon Israel halting its annexation plan.
"We have received assurances from leaders in Israel and the United States that annexation will not happen," he later clarified.
Musharakh also praised his country's military cooperation with Israel and the United States, which saw an Israeli and American delegation make an historic two-day trip on Monday and Tuesday to Abu Dhabi for economic and trade talks.
"Our cooperation, alongside the United States, is historic and essential, and will remain so in the future," he said.
He reiterated the Gulf Kingdom's support of the Saudi-sponsored 2002 Arab Peace Initiative – which promised Israel full ties with Arab states if a peace settlement is reached with the Palestinians.
"The road to peace does not pass through hate speech," Musharakh said, in response to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's Tuesday speech where he said the UAE has betrayed the Islamic world and the Palestinians by reaching a deal on normalizing ties with Israel.
"We are staying with the Arab consensus and Arab and international decisions. What we have done is stop the annexation, but the ultimate solution still depends on Israel and the Palestinians."
He also noted that the Emirates is expected to open an embassy in Tel Aviv, but he still did know when the two countries would exchange diplomats.
"We want it to happen as quickly as possible, we are making progress and the pace is good. We are already looking forward to the UAE delegation's visit to Israel," he said.
4 View gallery
Members of the Israeli delegation meeting with UAE officials in Abu Dhabi on Monday
(Photo: GPO)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday night that he had invited an Emirati delegation to Israel.
Musharakh said that an arms deal for the sale of American F-35 fighter jets to the Gulf state was not one of the motives for normalizing ties with Israel.
"The F-35 is our request, but not the motive behind the agreement. I would not link progress with the fighter jet issue, and what has happened in recent days only proves that we are looking for partnerships not just in defense," he said.