Israel’s annexation of occupied West Bank to violate prospect of 2-state solution, UAE warns

The diplomatic adviser to United Arab Emirates President Mohamed bin Zayed renewed a warning that the Israeli annexation of the occupied West Bank would violate the prospect of a two-state solution and end regional integration.

“In these challenging times, UAE sends clear message: annexation is a red line and peace through two state solution must remain path forward,” Anwar Gargash wrote on the US social media company X.

The warning came after UAE Assistant Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Lana Nusseibeh said Wednesday the West Bank annexation would be a “red line” for Abu Dhabi.

“Annexation would be a red line for my government, and that means there can be no lasting peace,” Emirati Special Envoy Lana Nusseibeh told The Times of Israel news outlet.

“It would foreclose the idea of regional integration and be the death knell of the two-state solution,” she said.

On Wednesday, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said that Israel plans to annex 82% of the occupied West Bank to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state.In 2020, the UAE signed US-sponsored agreements with Israel to normalize their relations. Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco also followed suit.

The international community, including the UN, considers the Israeli settlements illegal under international law. The UN has repeatedly warned that continued settlement expansion threatens the viability of a two-state solution, a framework seen as key to resolving the decades-long Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

In an advisory opinion last July, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.