UAE suspending purchase of Israel defence systems until gov’t under control, media reports claim

Israel’s Channel 12 revealed signs of a crisis between the UAE and Israel, against the background of the actions of the extremist right-wing Israeli government in Tel Aviv over the past month and a half. This prompted the Gulf state to suspend the purchase of Israeli defence systems.

The channel quoted informed sources as saying that the actions that angered the Emiratis were mainly Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir’s storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the attack on the Palestinian town of Huwara by settlers, and the statements of Israeli Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, calling for wiping it to be “wiped out“.

According to the channel, UAE President Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed told Israeli officials: “Until we can ascertain that Prime Minister Netanyahu has a government that he can control, we can’t work together.”

The channel noted that intelligence and security cooperation between Israel and the UAE is however continuing.

Channel 12 also noted that the UAE’s decision to suspend its purchases was made after the Prime Minister Netanyahu’s visit to the Emirates was postponed, with a new date yet to be set. It also comes after Saudi Arabia announced this week that it restored relations with Iran after years of estrangement.

According to the Israeli channel, the Prime Minister’s Office issued a strong denial of this news, calling the report “baseless” and saying that Israel and the UAE are constantly holding “fruitful diplomatic contact… including today.”

READ: Qatari Emir presents $500,000 in aid to Huwara victims