Rights group expresses ‘concern’ over UAE’s intent to fund Israeli checkpoints in West Bank

A rights group says it is seriously concerned about joint plans by Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to launch an investment fund aimed at “modernizing Israeli-run checkpoints” across the occupied Palestinian territories.

The Geneva-based Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor made the comments in a statement on Wednesday, saying that the group was “alarmed” by these “Israeli-UAE plans”, the Palestinian Information Center reported on Thursday.

The statement came more than a month after Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv signed a US-mediated agreement at the White House to normalize ties. Bahrain, another Persian Gulf Arab state, and the Israeli regime also signed a similar deal in the joint ceremony along with the UAE.

The normalization deals – officially known as the so-called Abraham Accords - have drawn widespread condemnation from Palestinians, who seek an independent state in the occupied West Bank and the besieged Gaza Strip, with East Jerusalem al-Quds as its capital. They say the deals ignore their rights and are a betrayal of the Palestinian cause.

The UAE and Bahrain justified their deals with Israel as a means to stop the annexation plans in the West Bank and bring peace to the region. Nevertheless, Israel is still going ahead with its expansion plans.

'Shameful' UAE visit will encourage more Israeli aggression: Palestinians

Palestinian officials condemn as ‘shameful’ the arrival of a United Arab Emirates (UAE) delegation in the Israeli-occupied territories.

The Euro-Med statement came just a day after the chief executive of the US international development finance corporation, Adam Boehler, announced that the US, Israel and the UAE would set up a $3 billion investment fund — to be called the Abraham Fund — that would allegedly seek to promote private investment in Israel, the West Bank and elsewhere in the Middle East and North Africa.

“On the top priorities of this fund would be upgrading and modernizing Israeli security checkpoints across the occupied West Bank,” the Euro-Med said.

The rights group warned that financing the so-called “modernization” of the Israeli checkpoints in the occupied West Bank would significantly help Tel Aviv hide their destructive purpose and negative impacts on Palestinians, consolidating the occupation.

“These checkpoints maintain onerous restrictions on the movements of the Palestinians in the West Bank. Contrary to the Israeli claims over security, these checkpoints appear to exist merely for the benefit of the Israeli settlements that are themselves illegal under international law,” Euro-Med further noted.

According to the report, there are currently 700 Israeli checkpoints in the occupied West Bank.

Back in September, the Euro-Med documented that the Tel Aviv regime had established 300 additional flying checkpoints throughout the West Bank.

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