Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that an agreement with the UAE and US marked the start of a new era for the region but insisted annexation was still on the table.
In a nationally broadcast statement on Thursday, Mr Netanyahu said the “full and official peace” with the UAE would lead to co-operation in many spheres between the countries and a “wonderful future” for citizens of both countries.
The deal was agreed to in a conference call between Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, US President Donald Trump and Mr Netanyahu.
"Today a new era began in the relations between Israel and the Arab world," he said at a televised press conference.
Under the terms of the deal, which Mr Trump said would be known as the Abraham Accord, Israel agreed to halt all annexation of Palestinian territories in exchange for establishing diplomatic ties with the UAE.
But Mr Netanyahu said there was no change to his plans to annex parts of the West Bank, only that they were on temporary hold and that implementing annexation would be done with US co-ordination.
He said the Trump administration had asked Israel to put its West Bank annexation plans on hold to move forward with the agreement on ties with the UAE.
The move by Mr Netanyahu risked criticism inside his own hard-line Likud Party, whose members strongly supported annexation.
He appears to be counting on Likud members – and the small, but influential settler movement – seeing that the peace agreement delivered more benefits than unilateral annexation.
Opinion polls have shown that annexation is not a high priority for the vast majority of the Israeli public.
While some moderate settler communities said the diplomatic ties were worth the price of annexation, chairman of the Yesha Council umbrella group of settlement councils, David Elhayani, said Mr Netanyhu had "betrayed my trust and the trust of the residents of Judea, Samaria and the Jordan Valley", Haaretz reported.
Mr Netanyahu also claimed more Arab nations would agree to ties after the historic decision.
“This deal shows the huge change in how Israel is seen in the Middle East," he said.
Meanwhile, a Palestinian Liberation Organisation official said he and his colleagues were not made aware of the agreement before Mr Trump’s announcement.
“We didn’t know,” he said. “I’m shocked.”
The official Palestine TV reported that President Mahmoud Abbas called an urgent meeting of his senior leadership to discuss the agreement and determine a position on it.
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Reaction: The National discusses Israel and the UAE establishing diplomatic ties
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Match info
Australia 580
Pakistan 240 and 335
Result: Australia win by an innings and five runs
Saturday's results
West Ham 2-3 Tottenham
Arsenal 2-2 Southampton
Bournemouth 1-2 Wolves
Brighton 0-2 Leicester City
Crystal Palace 1-2 Liverpool
Everton 0-2 Norwich City
Watford 0-3 Burnley
Manchester City v Chelsea, 9.30pm
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.
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
In Full Flight: A Story of Africa and Atonement
John Heminway, Knopff
if you go
A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Tamkeen's offering
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Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
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Tips from the expert
Dobromir Radichkov, chief data officer at dubizzle and Bayut, offers a few tips for UAE residents looking to earn some cash from pre-loved items.
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