UAE Weighs Downgrading Israel Ties Over Possible West Bank Annexation

English , Qatar - قطر , / Thursday, September 18th, 2025

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The United Arab Emirates is considering downgrading its diplomatic relations with Israel if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu proceeds with annexing parts of the occupied West Bank, according to sources familiar with Abu Dhabi’s discussions.
The UAE, one of only a few Arab states with formal ties to Israel, has grown increasingly uneasy as Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition edges closer to annexation moves. Such a step would undermine the Abraham Accords, the 2020 agreement that normalized ties between Israel and the UAE, Bahrain, and Morocco. The deal, brokered under former U.S. President Donald Trump, was once hailed as a landmark for regional cooperation.
Tensions have already been rising during the nearly two-year Gaza war. Business links between the UAE and Israel have cooled, and last week Abu Dhabi barred Israeli defense companies from taking part in the Dubai Airshow, a move confirmed by Israeli officials.
While Abu Dhabi is not considering fully severing ties, Emirati officials have warned that annexation would jeopardize the accords and derail regional integration efforts. The UAE’s Lana Nusseibeh publicly cautioned earlier this month that such actions would carry serious consequences.
Netanyahu had pledged to delay annexation for four years under the accords, but that period has passed, and ministers in his government, including Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, are openly pushing for maps to annex most of the West Bank.
The UAE has also condemned Israeli policies in Gaza and Jerusalem’s Al Aqsa compound, reiterating support for an independent Palestinian state as key to regional stability.