UAE purchases site for permanent embassy in Israel

The UAE has acquired land in Israel for a permanent embassy, assisted by the Israel Land Authority and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, according to Israeli media reports.

Israel’s KAN broadcaster reported on Saturday that the deal was valued in the tens of millions of shekels, signalling a new stage in relations forged under the Abraham Accords, despite global backlash over Israel's genocidal war on Gaza.

The report did not specify the location or give a timeline for the Emirati mission to move from its current premises, which has been leased since 2020.

Neither Israeli nor Emirati officials have yet commented on the report.

The UAE Foreign Ministry currently lists its mission as being in Tel Aviv, where the cabinet first approved the establishment of an embassy in January 2021.

UAE-Israel relations have persisted across trade, tourism, and technology, even amid widespread outrage in the Arab and Western worlds over the Gaza conflict and the complicity of its allies.

Since Israel’s war on the Palestinian enclave began in October 2023, Abu Dhabi has expressed some criticism of its allies actions.

The UAE's foreign ministry warned in September that any move by Netanyahu’s government to annex part or all of the West Bank would be a "red line"- one that could jeopardise the Abraham Accords and derail efforts toward regional integration.

However, Reuters news agency later reported that while the Gulf nation was not considering a complete severance of ties, it was weighing the option of downgrading diplomatic relations, including the potential withdrawal of its ambassador.

Relations were also reportedly strained when Abu Dhabi barred Israeli defence firms from participating in the Dubai Airshow in November.

Some reports attributed the decision to security concerns, while others linked it to Israel’s unprecedented September strike on Qatar targeting Hamas' negotiating team.

 

Source: The New Arab