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UAE-Israel agreement total departure from Arab consensus: Palestinian PM

Palestinian refugees tread on images of Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, US President Donald Trump, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during a demonstration against the Emirati-Israeli agreement, in the Bass refugee camp in the Lebanese southern coastal city of Tyre, on August 15, 2020. (Photo by AFP)

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh has denounced a recent agreement between the United Arab Emirates and Israel to open formal diplomatic ties as Abu Dhabi’s total departure from the Arab consensus over the resolution of the Palestinian issue.

Speaking at the start of a weekly cabinet meeting in the central occupied West Bank city of Ramallah on Monday, Shtayyeh slammed the pact as a blatant departure from the Arab consensus that any normalization of ties with the Tel Aviv regime has to come in the context of resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and an overall peace deal, Arabic-language Donia al-Watan online newspaper reported.

Israel and the UAE on August 13 reached a deal that will lead to full normalization of diplomatic relations between the two sides, in an agreement apparently brokered by US President Donald Trump.

Shtayyeh said the Palestinian leadership is scheduled to meet on Wednesday to discuss issues affecting the Palestinian cause, including the recent UAE move, stressing, “The [Palestinian] government will continue to confront annexation bids and settlement plans."

“Talking about Palestine and what it either accepts or rejects is an entirely Palestinian affair," he added.

He also said the "expansion of UAE’s arsenal with US-made weapons should not come at the expense of al-Quds and Palestine."

'Agreement with Israel in violation of UAE’s constitution'

Meanwhile, Abbas Zaki, a member of the central committee of the Palestinian Fatah movement, said that Abu Dhabi's decision to normalize relations with Israel contradicts the UAE constitution.

Speaking in an interview with local Arabic-language al-Najah television network, Zaki described the UAE-Israel normalization agreement as “an earthquake that deeply affected the Emiratis, because their constitution does not allow what [Crown Prince Mohammed] bin Zayed [Al Nahyan] did.”

He added, “The UAE law prohibits, imposes penalties and orders imprisonment for those who praise Israelis.”

Zaki then described bin Zayed's move as “the beginning of the New Middle East project.”

He added that the normalization agreement “contributed to the collapse of the international front that rejected Israeli plans to annex Palestinian territories [in the occupied West Bank], and to the non-recognition of Palestine as a state by 25 countries.”

Yemeni political parties: Normalization encourages Israel’s aggressive policies

Furthermore, Yemeni political parties have condemned attempts by a number of Arab countries to establish full normal relations with the Israeli regime, reiterating their firm support for the Palestinian cause and nation until they restore all their legitimate rights and establish an independent state on the entire Palestinian territories.

The parties said in a joint statement on Sunday that efforts are being made towards normalization with the Tel Aviv regime, without resolution of the Palestinian issue in a fair manner that would restore the full rights of Palestinians in accordance with the so-called Arab Peace Initiative and international agreements.

The so-called Arab Peace Initiative, which was proposed by Saudi Arabia, calls on Israel to agree to a “two-state solution” along the 1967 lines and a “just” solution to the Palestinian refugee issue.

The statement added that such bids “will encourage the aggressive policies of the Zionist regime and will violate the provisions of the international law, not to mention it is a departure from the Arab consensus and decisions made by the Arab League, Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and United Nations institutions. It will have negative repercussions on peace and stability in the Arab world and the Middle East region.”

The Yemeni parties underlined that Palestine is the pivotal issue of the Arab and Muslim world, and serves as a compass for freedom-loving people of the world.

They also called for reconciliation of Palestinian factions and stronger Arab and Muslim solidarity in the face of collusion and conspiracies against the Palestinian cause.

Under the agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Israel has allegedly agreed to "temporarily" suspend applying its own rule to further areas in the occupied West Bank and the strategic Jordan Valley that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had pledged to annex.

Israeli and UAE delegations will meet in the coming weeks to sign bilateral agreements covering sectors, including investment, tourism and direct flights and the opening of reciprocal embassies, according to the accord.

Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv on Saturday signed the first business deal since the accord. Emirati APEX National Investment company and Israel's Tera Group will cooperate on research and development related to COVID-19, including a testing device.

Anger is boiling in the Middle East and elsewhere over the agreement, with Palestinian leaders describing it as a “stab in the back” of the Palestinians by an Arab country.


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