Islam Times - Report: UAE Considering Reducing Diplomatic Presence in Occupied Palestine

Islam Times - The United Arab Emirates [UAE] midis considering reducing its level of diplomatic representation in the “Israeli” entity after “Israeli” Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said in Paris that “there is no such thing as a Palestinian people,” according to Saudi reports on Monday.

According to the report, the Emirati Foreign Ministry ordered Emirati Ambassador to the “Israeli” entity Mohammed Al Khaja not to meet with any “Israeli” government officials.

Khaldoon al-Mubarak, the senior advisor to the President of the UAE, is currently visiting the “Israeli”-occupied Palestinian territories, according to Walla News.

The office of “Israeli” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denied allegations by Channel 12 that the “Israeli” entity is experiencing a crisis in its relations with the UAE after the country announced that it plans to stop a purchase of “Israeli”-made defense systems in protest of Netanyahu's government, The Jerusalem Post reported earlier this month.

“Until we can be sure that Prime Minister Netanyahu has a government he can control, we will not be able to jointly operate,” Emirati President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed had reportedly told “Israeli” officials.

Last month, the UAE was among numerous countries that condemned a comment by Smotrich that the occupied West Bank Palestinian town of Huwara “needs to be wiped out,” calling the comment “racist.”

Smotrich had later claimed that his comment had not been sincere and had apologized for it.