Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu took the issue of annexing parts of the occupied West Bank off the agenda of a top-level discussion on Thursday, after the United Arab Emirates (UAE) made it clear they would consider such a move “crossing a red line”.
Emirati officials also warned senior Trump administration officials against the possibility of such an Israeli move.
“This would destroy the Abraham Accords,” an Emirati official was quoted as saying. “Do not allow Israel to annex parts of the West Bank.”
The 2020 Abraham Accords, which were brokered by the US, saw the UAE, Bahrain and Morocco establish full diplomatic relations with Israel.
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The two far-right parties in Mr Netanyahu’s coalition have been pressing for annexation. Such a move also has the support of the overwhelming majority of Mr Netanyahu’s own Likud party.
Right-wing politicians argue that such a move is the appropriate response to the plans by several western countries to recognise a state of Palestine at the United Nations General Assembly this month.
On Wednesday finance minister Bezalel Smotrich, leader of the far-right Religious Zionist party, unveiled a plan, endorsed by the Yesha settlers’ council, to annex more than 80 per cent of the disputed territory.
“2025 will be the year of sovereignty in the West Bank,” he said, explaining that his strategy rests on the principle of “maximum territory, minimum population”.
Mr Smotrich’s plan called for Israeli sovereignty over the entire West Bank, with the exception of the major Palestinian population centres, such as Nablus, Ramallah and Hebron.
“The Arab population of the West Bank supports Hamas and the destruction of Israel,” he said. “We have no desire to apply our sovereignty over a population that desires our destruction.”
Israel captured the West Bank from Jordan in the 1967 war and began establishing Jewish settlements there soon after.
Israel has built about 160 settlements housing 700,000 Jews in the area. The settlements are illegal under international law.
Around 3 million Palestinians live in the West Bank; they want the territory, along with East Jerusalem and Gaza, as part of a future state – a position supported by most of the international community.
On Wednesday Axios reported differences of opinion in the Trump administration on the issue. Two Israeli officials told the US news outlet that US secretary of state Marco Rubio has indicated in private meetings that the administration would not stand in the way should Israel decide to annex parts of the occupied territory.
The report claimed that the position is not shared by US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, who believes that such a move will undermine US diplomatic initiatives in the region.
A spokesman for Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas said this week that “any annexation or settlement activity by Israel is illegitimate, condemned, and unacceptable”.
