UAE: Israel war on Gaza will not affect ‘warm peace’ with Tel Aviv

A prominent Emirati official said yesterday that the controversial normalisation deal with Israel will not be affected even if Tel Aviv launches a war on the Gaza Strip.

In an interview with Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth, Ali Al-Nuaimi, chairman of the Defence, Interior and Foreign Affairs Committee at the UAE’s Federal Council, said that the “warm peace with Israel” can endure such crises as a “war on Gaza”.

In the period between 2008 and 2014, Israel launched three massive offensives against the besieged enclave, causing the deaths of thousands of Palestinians along with unprecedented destruction in Gaza.

Al-Nuaimi said he expected that the normalisation agreement between his country and Israel will be finalised this month.

Al-Nuaimi added that UAE Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Zayed may soon visit Israel.

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He also confirmed that direct flights between the two countries will start after the signing of the agreement.

The Emirati official said he expects Israel will remove its objection to the UAE buying US F-35 jets.

Following last month’s announcement of the UAE-Israel normalisation deal, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the deal does not include the sale of F-35s to the UAE.

Al-Nuaimi, in the interview, accused the Palestinian leadership of being “stuck in the past” due to its stance towards Israel.

With deal, UAE abandons Palestinian struggle – Cartoon [Sabaaneh/MiddleEastMonitor]