The United Arab Emirates' ambassador to the U.S. warns Israel against annexing the Jordan Valley and other parts of the occupied West Bank, saying the move would “upend” Israel's efforts to improve ties with Arab countries.
Billboards shows Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, right, and U.S President Donald Trump in Jerusalem, placed by Yesha Council, an organization of municipal councils of Jewish settlements in the West Bank, Wednesday, June 10, 2020. Hebrew on billboard reads "No for Palestinian state" and "Sovereignty Do it right."
A former Israeli prime minister meanwhile dismissed arguments that Israel must maintain control of the Jordan Valley for security purposes as “nonsense.”, which allows Israel to annex around 30% of the West Bank and was immediately rejected by the Palestinians.In an editorial published by Israel’s Yediot Aharonot newspaper, Al Otaiba warned that Israel’s planned annexation — a process that could begin as soon as July 1 — would “ignite violence and rouse extremists.
The two countries have no formal diplomatic ties, but the Emirates have allowed Israeli officials to visit, and the Israeli national anthem was played after an athlete won gold in an Abu Dhabi judo tournament. Israel also has a small mission representing its interests at the International Renewable Energy Agency in Abu Dhabi.“Annexation will certainly and immediately upend Israeli aspirations for improved security, economic and cultural ties with the Arab world and with UAE,” he wrote.
“In the UAE and across much of the Arab world, we would like to believe Israel is an opportunity, not an enemy. We face too many common dangers and see the great potential of warmer ties,” Al Otaiba wrote.Netanyahu has argued that Israel must maintain full control of the Jordan Valley to meet its security needs. Israeli leaders have long expressed fears that withdrawing from the valley could open them up to a future Arab invasion from the east.
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