The UAE has condemned a comment by Israeli Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich, in which he denied the existence of the Palestinian people.
Mr Smotrich provoked fury when he said there was no Palestinian history or culture and used a flag depicting expanded Israeli borders that incorporated Jordan and the Palestinian territories.
This prompted Amman to summon Israel's ambassador to Jordan, Eitan Sorkis, to receive a rebuke.
“There are no Palestinians, because there isn't a Palestinian people,” Mr Smotrich said on Sunday in Paris.
He was quoting French-Israeli Zionist activist Jacques Kupfer, according to a video circulating on social media.
The UAE condemned the statement, with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation saying the UAE “rejected the incitement rhetoric and all practices that contradict moral and human values and principles”.
The ministry said hate speech and violence should be confronted and values of tolerance and human coexistence should be promoted to reduce escalation and instability in the region.
It said regional and international efforts to advance the peace process in the Middle East should be supported and illegal practices that threaten the two-state solution and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state should be brought to an end.
Jordan has been assured that the comments did not represent Israel's position, an official source said on Tuesday.
The source told Reuters that top Israeli officials said they rejected Mr Smotrich's comments and that they respected Jordan's borders and the peace treaty with the kingdom.
'Racist ideology'
On Monday, Jordanian Foreign Ministry spokesman Sinan Al Majali said Mr Sorkis was told to relay to his government “a strong-worded letter of protest” from the kingdom.
The two countries signed a peace treaty in 1994.
“The ambassador was told of the need of his government to take a frank and clear position regarding these extremist and provocative statements,” Mr Al Majali said.
He said Mr Smotrich's remarks constituted “a dangerous escalation that threatens security and stability” and “racist, extremist ideology”.
An earlier statement by the ministry said Mr Smotrich's use of the map with expanded borders may be a breach of the peace treaty between Israel and Jordan.
A representative for Mr Smotrich, head of one of the religious-nationalist parties in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's hard-right coalition, said the flag was a set decoration by the conference organisers and that the minister was a guest.
In his speech, evoking biblical “prophecies” that are “beginning to come true,” Mr Smotrich said: “After 2,000 years … God is gathering his people. The people of Israel are returning home.”
“There are Arabs around who don't like it, so what do they do? They invent a fictitious people and claim fictitious rights to the land of Israel, only to fight the Zionist movement,” he said.
“It is the historical truth, it is the biblical truth,” he added.
“The Arabs in Israel must hear it, as well as certain Jews in Israel who are confused — this truth must be heard here at the Elysee Palace, and at the White House in Washington, and everyone must hear this truth.”
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh condemned Mr Smotrich's remarks, saying they amounted to incitement to violence.
A separate statement by the Palestinian Foreign Ministry said that by denying the existence of the Palestinian people and their legitimate national rights in their homeland, Israeli leaders “foster an environment that fuels Jewish extremism and terrorism against our people.”
Such positions “continue the spiral of violence with the aim of sabotaging efforts to achieve calm.”
Mr Smotrich's comments came as Israeli and Palestinian representatives met in the Red Sea resort of Sharm El Sheikh along with Egyptian, Jordanian and US officials for “extensive discussions on ways to de-escalate tensions between the Palestinians and Israelis”, according to a joint statement.
It is not the first time Mr Smotrich has caused controversy with comments aimed at the Palestinian people. Earlier in March, he called for the Palestinian town of Hawara to be “erased” — a statement later condemned by Mr Netanyahu as “inappropriate”.
He was consequently boycotted on a US trip by prominent Jewish figures, despite issuing an apology.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
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Director: Jon M Chu
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The Indoor Cricket World Cup
When: September 16-23
Where: Insportz, Dubai
Indoor cricket World Cup:
Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23
UAE fixtures:
Men
Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
Thursday, September 21 – 2pm v Malaysia
Friday, September 22 – 3.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 3pm, grand final
Women
Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
Sunday, September 17 – 2pm, v South Africa; 7.15pm, v New Zealand
Monday, September 18 – 5.30pm, v England
Tuesday, September 19 – 10.30am, v New Zealand; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final
A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
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UAE players with central contracts
Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Rameez Shahzad, Shaiman Anwar, Adnan Mufti, Mohammed Usman, Ghulam Shabbir, Ahmed Raza, Qadeer Ahmed, Amir Hayat, Mohammed Naveed and Imran Haider.
Key facilities
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- 600-seat auditorium
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THE SPECS
Engine: 3.6-litre V6
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%3Cp%3E-%20Diriyah%E2%80%99s%201.9km%20King%20Salman%20Boulevard%2C%20a%20Parisian%20Champs-Elysees-inspired%20avenue%2C%20is%20scheduled%20for%20completion%20in%202028%3Cbr%3E-%20The%20Royal%20Diriyah%20Opera%20House%20is%20expected%20to%20be%20completed%20in%20four%20years%3Cbr%3E-%20Diriyah%E2%80%99s%20first%20of%2042%20hotels%2C%20the%20Bab%20Samhan%20hotel%2C%20will%20open%20in%20the%20first%20quarter%20of%202024%3Cbr%3E-%20On%20completion%20in%202030%2C%20the%20Diriyah%20project%20is%20forecast%20to%20accommodate%20more%20than%20100%2C000%20people%3Cbr%3E-%20The%20%2463.2%20billion%20Diriyah%20project%20will%20contribute%20%247.2%20billion%20to%20the%20kingdom%E2%80%99s%20GDP%3Cbr%3E-%20It%20will%20create%20more%20than%20178%2C000%20jobs%20and%20aims%20to%20attract%20more%20than%2050%20million%20visits%20a%20year%3Cbr%3E-%20About%202%2C000%20people%20work%20for%20the%20Diriyah%20Company%2C%20with%20more%20than%2086%20per%20cent%20being%20Saudi%20citizens%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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England's lowest Test innings
- 45 v Australia in Sydney, January 28, 1887
- 46 v West Indies in Port of Spain, March 25, 1994
- 51 v West Indies in Kingston, February 4, 2009
- 52 v Australia at The Oval, August 14, 1948
- 53 v Australia at Lord's, July 16, 1888
- 58 v New Zealand in Auckland, March 22, 2018
LIVING IN...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
