Hamas slams Arab League failure to condemn UAE- Israel deal

Hamas on Wednesday criticised the Arab League’s failure to endorse a Palestinian draft resolution condemning the normalisation agreement between the United Arab Emirates and Israel.

The Palestinian faction said in a statement that the league’s failure underlines its abandonment of its role and duty towards Palestine by justifying agreements with the enemy, while the occupation continues with its oppression.

The statement said the league has provided a cover for Emirati rulers despite the Israeli violations in Palestine including the Judaisation of Jerusalem, the division of the West Bank with illegal Jewish settlements, the blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip, among others.

“The Arab League’s rejection of the Palestinian resolution can only be explained by reinforcing the occupation by covering up for the rulers of the Emirates, and a clear abandonment of the League’s position at the Beirut summit, which stipulated to ensure Palestinian rights before normalisation,” it added.

Hamas appealed to the Arab peoples to pressure their governments to backtrack on their positions due to the dangers the deal inflicts on Arab and Palestinian rights in the region.

READ: US hails Arab League for refusing to condemn UAE-Israel normalisation

On Wednesday, the Arab League held a meeting at the level of foreign ministers to discuss Palestine’s request for an emergency meeting to reject the Emirati normalisation deal with Israel.

However, the Palestinian request was met rejected by Bahrain.

The meeting’s final statement failed to condemn normalisation with Israel, and instead renewed its commitment to the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative, the two-state solution, and adherence to international law and resolutions relevant to the dispute between Palestine and Israel.

On 13 August, US President Donald Trump announced a peace deal between the UAE and Israel brokered by Washington.

Abu Dhabi said the deal was an effort to stave off Tel Aviv’s planned annexation of the occupied West Bank, however, opponents believe normalisation efforts have been in the offing for many years as Israeli officials have made official visits to the UAE and attended conferences in the country which had no diplomatic or other ties with the occupation state.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu however denied this saying annexation is not off the table, but has simply been delayed.

Arab League refuse to condemn UAE-Israel normalisation – Cartoon [Sabaaneh/MiddleEastMonitor]