Emirati Official: Even War on Gaza Won’t Affect Deal with Israel

A senior Emirati official says the normalization deal between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Israeli regime will not be affected even by another Israeli war on the Palestinian territory of the Gaza Strip.

Ali Al-Nuaimi, the chairman of the defense, interior, and foreign affairs committee of the Emirati parliament, told Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth on Tuesday that “warm peace with Israel” would endure such crises as a “war on Gaza.”

The United States announced on August 13 that the UAE and Israel had reached a deal to normalize their relations. The Emirates sought to portray that deal as an attempt to forestall Israeli plans to annex occupied Palestinian territories. All Palestinian factions condemned the deal, nevertheless.

Palestinian leaders called the deal by the Emirates — an Arab country — a stab in the back of the fellow-Arab Palestinians and a betrayal of their cause.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also said soon after the announcement of the deal that the annexation plans in question remained on the table.

Israel has waged three wars on Gaza, in 2008-09, 2012, and 2014, each time killing and wounding thousands of men, women, and children. The regime has also fully blockaded Gaza since 2007.

Al-Nuaimi, the Emirati official, however accused the Palestinian leadership of being “stuck in the past” for opposing the normalization deal with Israel.

He said he expected the agreement to be finalized this month and Emirati Crown Prince Mohammad bin Zayed to visit occupied territories soon.

He also confirmed that direct flights would start between the Emirates and Israel after a signing ceremony of the deal.

The Emirati official also said he expected Israel to drop its objection to the United States’ sales of advanced stealth F-35 warplanes to the Emirates.

Source: Press TV