UAE Issues 'Red Line' to Israel Over West Bank Annexation

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has issued a strong warning to Israel, stating that annexing the occupied West Bank would be a "red line" that could undermine the Abraham Accords. This move, according to senior Emirati official Lana Nusseibeh, would be the "death knell" for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Palestinian Authority has welcomed the UAE's stance.

The UAE's warning comes in response to a proposal from far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who has outlined a plan to annex approximately 82% of the West Bank. This would leave the Palestinian population in isolated enclaves. Smotrich, an ultranationalist and settler leader, stated that "the time has come" for annexation and that the idea of a Palestinian state must be "put off the table once and for all."

The Abraham Accords, brokered by the US in 2020, saw the UAE, Bahrain, and Morocco establish diplomatic relations with Israel. One of the key conditions for the UAE's participation was a commitment from Israel's government to halt its previous plans to annex parts of the West Bank. While then-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would "suspend" the plans, he noted they remained "on the table."

The international community, including many human rights groups, widely considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank to be illegal under international law. There are an estimated 160 settlements housing 700,000 Jewish settlers alongside 3.3 million Palestinians in the territory Israel has occupied since the 1967 Middle East War.

The International Court of Justice ruled in 2024 that Israel's "continued presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory is unlawful," urging the country to end its occupation as quickly as possible. Netanyahu has rejected the court's opinion.

The UAE is one of 147 UN member states that already recognize the State of Palestine. The current Israeli government's actions, including recent approvals for a major settlement project, are seen as a direct threat to the two-state solution, a vision that the UAE aims to uphold.