UAE Minister of State Believes Israel Will Not Annex Palestinian Territories for Long Time

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash told the Axios media outlet that the agreement on normalizing relations with Israel would result in the long-term suspension of the annexation of the Palestinian territories by Israel.

On Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the plans to annex the Jewish settlement enclaves of the West Bank were still on the table despite the agreement with the UAE.

“I don’t understand Israeli politics. It is very complicated. But this is a three-way commitment. We are sure that as we will keep our commitment, and the U.S. is involved, so will Israel keep its commitment. I think we have bought a lot of time … I don’t think it is a short suspension,” Gargash said on late Friday.

He added that the UAE would keep urging the Palestinians and the Israelis to return to the negotiating table.

On Thursday, Israel and the United Arab Emirates agreed to normalize their relations, and an agreement on the mutual establishment of embassies is expected to follow in the coming three weeks. In exchange, Israel said it would halt its plans to formally annex parts of the West Bank.

Both ruling Palestinian movements, Fatah and Hamas, have already rejected the agreement.