Islam Times - UAE Envoy: We Would Like to Believe ‘Israel’ is an ‘Opportunity’

Islam Times - The United Arab Emirates’ ambassador to the US wrote in an op-ed in Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth on Friday, calling the Zionist entity as an ‘opportunity’.

“In the UAE and across much of the Arab world, we would like to believe Israel is an opportunity, not an enemy. We face too many common dangers and see the great potential of warmer ties,” Al Otaiba wrote.

The Emirati envoy said that Abu Dhabi has offered several initiatives towards the Zionist entity.

“Of our initiatives was when we blacklisted Hezbollah and denounced Hamas’ provocations,” the envoy was quoted as saying.

Meanwhile, the ambassador warned against Tel Aviv’s planned annexing parts of the occupied West Bank, saying the move would “upend” Israel’s efforts to improve ties with Arab countries.

He added that the move would be an “illegal takeover” of land Palestinians seek for a state.

“Annexation would – certainly and immediately – upend all Israeli aspirations for improved security, economic and cultural ties with the Arab world and the UAE.”

“All the progress that you’ve seen and the attitudes that have been changing towards Israel, people becoming more accepting of Israel and less hostile to Israel, all of that could be undermined by a decision to annex,” al-Otaiba said in a video that accompanied the article.

Al-Otaiba was among three Arab ambassadors who attended President Donald Trump’s January unveiling of his Middle East plan, which allows the occupation regime to annex around 30 percent of the already illegally occupied West Bank.