UAE Warns Israel Annexing West Bank Would End Regional Ties

• Sep 04, 2025

The United Arab Emirates has issued its strongest warning yet to Israel, saying that annexing any part of the occupied West Bank would cross a “red line” and threaten regional integration efforts under the Abraham Accords. The statement comes as Israel weighs options for annexation while facing growing international recognition of Palestinian statehood.

“Annexation in the West Bank would constitute a red line for the UAE,” said Lana Nusseibeh, the country’s Assistant Minister for Political Affairs. She stressed that such a move would undermine the vision of the Abraham Accords, halt progress toward regional integration, and destroy the widely shared goal of a two-state solution.

The UAE became the first Arab nation in decades to normalize relations with Israel in 2020, a move later joined by Bahrain and Morocco. The agreement, which expanded trade, tourism, and defense cooperation, was hailed as a breakthrough in Middle East diplomacy. However, the UAE conditioned normalization on Israel suspending annexation plans, framing the deal as a step toward supporting Palestinian statehood.

While Abu Dhabi has criticized Israel’s actions in Gaza and the West Bank before, its latest remarks mark the sharpest rebuke since the accords were signed. The warning also coincides with the fifth anniversary of the agreement, raising questions about its durability. Despite tensions, the UAE has maintained ties with Israel during the Gaza war, coordinating humanitarian aid deliveries into the territory and insisting the pact benefits Palestinians too.

The dispute arises as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepares to meet senior ministers to consider responses to an expected wave of Palestinian statehood recognition by Western nations. France, the UK, Canada, Portugal, and Australia are among countries planning to formally back Palestinian statehood at the UN General Assembly this month, joining more than 140 others that already do so.

Israeli officials say Netanyahu is reviewing annexation proposals ranging from limited settlement takeovers to broader plans for Area C, which makes up 60% of the West Bank. One key option is annexing the Jordan Valley, viewed by Israeli leaders as a strategic security buffer. Far-right ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir, along with settler leaders, reject partial measures and are pushing for full sovereignty over all territory not inhabited by Palestinians.

Calling for restraint, Nusseibeh urged Israel to halt annexation plans, saying extremists must not dictate the region’s future. “Peace requires courage, persistence, and a refusal to let violence define our choices,” she said.