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UAE says no reconstruction of Gaza before 'two-state solution': WSJ

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: The Wall Street Journal
13 Dec 2023 16:32
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The UAE conditions support for Gaza on the US-sponsored initiative of a "two-state solution", The Wall Street Journal reports.

Palestinians look at the destruction by the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip in Rafah, Monday, Dec. 4, 2023 (AP)

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is conditioning its financial and political support for Gaza's infrastructure reconstruction on the US-sponsored initiative of a "two-state solution", a recent report by The Wall Street Journal revealed.

UAE Ambassador to the United Nations, Lana Nusseibeh, told The Wall Street Journal that there can be no discussions of any reconstruction in Gaza before a 'two-state solution" is agreed upon.

"The message is going to be very clear: We need to see a viable two-state solution plan, a road map that is serious before we talk about the next day and rebuilding the infrastructure of Gaza," the UAE Ambassador said.

The US, whom the monarchy has aligned itself with, has expressed support for a "two-state solution" but has categorically rejected calls for a Gaza ceasefire until the IOF succeed in achieving its goal of "eliminating" Hamas.

The UAE's roadmap for a comprehensive solution involves "Israel", the Palestenian Authority, Egypt, and Jordan but excludes the involvement of Hamas or any other Resistance faction.

“The road map is: the Israelis and the Palestinian Authority and a grouping of countries that have leverage on the both of them sitting around the table and saying, ‘That’s the endgame we’re going to work to. The work starts here. This is the timeline, and it starts now,’” Nusseibeh said.

She also also suggested the involvement of other Arab states, European powers, and select Muslim-majority nations.

"The war in Gaza has put the UAE in a difficult position. It is seeking to balance its stated commitment to the Palestinians and domestic sympathies with their aspirations for an end to Israeli occupation against its desire to maintain ties with Israel and support the U.S. in the region," she added, as per the report.

The UAE has deliberated on juggling contradictions in its foreign policy, and this has become most evident with the onset of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood. The UAE has maintained ostensible support for the Palestinians to avoid Arab and domestic backlash while preserving its image as a reliable "partner" for the US and "Israel".

For example, the UAE has provided humanitarian aid to Gaza while proposing the establishment of a land bridge with "Israel" as an alternative route for the Aden Gulf blocked by the Yemeni forces in support of Gaza.

Furthermore, the Ambassador described the current war in Gaza as being a "turning point moment" for the UAE.

"[Without a two-state solution] we're not going to be as fully invested in the rebuild efforts, and with Israel, it will have an effect. That's not the trajectory we signed the Abraham accords on," she concluded.