US PRESIDENT Joe Biden welcomed the President of the United Arab Emirates to the White House on Monday (23/9). In a significant step to improve bilateral relations, the two leaders will discuss steps to reduce regional tensions between Israel and Lebanon as well as efforts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza.
At the start of his meeting with Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Biden stressed that the issues of Lebanon and Gaza would be a priority in their discussions.
“We will also discuss efforts to end the war in Gaza and a number of regional issues. I have been briefed on the latest developments in Israel and Lebanon. My team remains in contact with their counterparts and we are working to de-escalate tensions in a way that allows people to return to their homes safely,” Biden said.
The visit comes as the United Arab Emirates has shown growing frustration with Israel’s handling of the Gaza crisis, as the conflict drags on with no end in sight and the death toll continues to rise.
Abu Dhabi normalized ties with Israel in 2020 after signing the Abraham Accords. But relations with the current Israeli government have soured over the Gaza war.
Frustration over the lack of a foreseeable conclusion to the conflict emerged when UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan posted on social platform X that the UAE was not prepared to support the aftermath of the war in Gaza without the establishment of a Palestinian state.
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The post, which has been viewed more than 1.8 million times, was a touching statement meant to reach a wider audience with greater impact than an official statement.
“I think this is an expression of frustration with Israel and America. They talk too much, but do nothing,” political science professor Abdulkhaleq Abdullah told Al-Monitor.
On Wednesday, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman also echoed the sentiment at a session of the Shura Council, the country’s consultative assembly. “The kingdom will not stop its hard work towards establishing an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital and we affirm that the kingdom will not establish diplomatic relations with Israel without that,” he said.
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Israel and Saudi Arabia have been working toward a normalization deal. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said they were on the verge of a deal shortly before Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack and subsequent war on Gaza.
Al-Aqsa Concerns
The UAE’s position follows a rhetorical escalation amid continued impatience with the Israeli government led by Netanyahu and his right-wing allies. The UAE, along with its Gulf allies, strongly condemned comments by Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s national security minister, regarding plans to build a synagogue inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, known to Jews as the Temple Mount, one of the holiest sites in both Islam and Judaism.
The Israeli right-wing attack on the mosque compound led by Ben-Gvir has preoccupied discussions between Sheikh Abdullah and his Jordanian counterpart, Ayman al-Safadi.
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Jordan oversees the management of the holy sites through an endowment known as the Waqf. The UAE has repeatedly called on Israel to rein in settler activity, respect Jerusalem’s historical and legal status, and support the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Day by day scenario
Afshin Molavi, a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Institute at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies, said Sheikh Abdullah’s recent remarks about not getting involved a day after the Gaza conflict did not specifically underlie a change in his thinking.
“The UAE is unlikely to want to be involved in post-conflict reconstruction unless there is a viable and internationally accepted Palestinian state,” he said.
“Moreover, if such conditions do not exist, the possibility of future conflict will remain, no matter how much reconstruction has been achieved,” he added.
The UAE was not involved in mediating the ceasefire in Gaza. The United States, Qatar and Egypt acted as mediators between Israel and Hamas.
Humanitarian aid
While Abu Dhabi has not played a political role in ending the conflict, it has played an active role in humanitarian aid. The UAE is hosting nearly 2,000 wounded and sick people from Gaza and their families in a humanitarian city in the capital.
Through its working relationship with Israeli authorities, the UAE routinely evacuates the wounded and injured from Gaza, although such efforts have faced increasing challenges following Israel’s closure of the Rafah border crossing.
Former U.S. diplomat and negotiator Dennis Ross noted that Sheikh Abdullah’s strong statement could be an indication that if the cease-fire talks prove successful, the UAE could play a role. “This may simply be drawing attention to what would make it easier for the UAE to play and fulfill its role,” Ross told Al-Monitor.
Post-conflict reconstruction
Israel shows no signs of slowing its operations in Gaza, even as the death toll in the enclave rises above 41,000 and more than 90,000 are injured, according to local health authorities.
Israel is also now in its third week of a major operation in the occupied West Bank, its largest in the territory since the early 2000s. “Talks about the future of Gaza and Palestine are misguided,” Molavi said.
“We need to talk about the generations after. The devastation is enormous and unimaginable,” he said.
“It is likely that the UAE and other regional actors understand the scale of the rebuilding process and may want to ensure that, at the very least, a strong Palestinian state is required,” he concluded. (Z-2)
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