United Arab Emirates: Israeli ambassador summoned
For the first time since the Abrahamic Agreements, which in September 2020 normalized relations between the Gulf monarchies and Israel, and after the further consolidation of relations during the six months of Expo, with exchanges that already exceed one billion dollars , relations between Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv falter.
Following the clashes broke out in Jerusalemthe Emirate Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abdullah bin ZayedI summoned theIsraeli ambassador Amir HayekTel Aviv’s first diplomat in Abu Dhabi, for police actions against Palestiniansand called on his Israeli counterpart, Minister Yair Lapid, to ease the tension around the Al Aqsa Mosqueavoiding to violate the sanctity of this place of worship, the third most important for Muslims after Mecca and Medina.
And while Reem Al Hasheemy, Emirati Minister for Cooperation, reiterated the need to provide full protection to the faithfulto respect the role of Jordan as guardian of the holy places of Jerusalem and to promote an appropriate environment to reopen i negotiation that carry everythingestablishment of an independent Palestinian statecame a joint statement from Arab ministerial committee on the Palestinian question.
“The Israeli escalation in Jerusalem threatens to trigger a cycle of violence that endangers security in the region and in the world “, reads the document, published after the emergency meeting that took place in recent days, between the ministries of the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Palestinian Territories, Egypt, Qatar , Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia.
The Committee invited the international community, in particular the UN Security Councila “move immediately and effectively – the declaration reads again – to stop the Israeli illegal and provocative practices in Jerusalem“.
And on May 5, Israel’s independence day, the Arab Emirates, according to the Israeli press, canceled its participation in the so-called Peace in flight, which provided for the flight over the country of the planes of the Emirati companies Etihad and Wizz Air together with the Israeli ones. News flatly denied by Abu Dhabi in recent days: the UAE flag companies, reported the national news agency, have never confirmed their adhesion to the celebrations.
Elisabetta Norzi