The tight relationship between Israel and the United Arab Emirates is typically managed discreetly. But this week, it was thrust into the open, illuminating tensions underlying the alliance as the Iran war embroils the entire region.
Pentagon halts deployments to Poland and Germany to cut troop numbers in Europe, AP sources sayLong Island Rail Road workers go on strike, halting busiest US commuter rail systemSupreme Court rejects Virginia's bid to restore congressional map favoring DemocratsWhat to know about the investigation into Memphis forward Brandon Clarke's deathClaudine Longet, singer and actor at center of a notorious manslaughter trial, dies at 84Powell's tenure as Fed chair marked by fight for independence while trying to tame inflationViral phenomenon in Argentina has young people identifying themselves as animals1 million bees make for bumper-to-buzzer traffic on a Tennessee highway rampHow 2 men claimed an absurd record by driving an old 3-wheel car the length of AfricaIn an era when workers are returning to offices, here’s how Dropbox is making remote jobs workA photo captures black spots on clothespins that reveal the environmental toll of conflict in TehranCalifornia, Nevada and Arizona announce temporary plan to save water from the Colorado RiverPediatrics group issues new guidance on recess for the first time in 13 yearsBy changing women's lives, the pill changed the nationSuch great heights: They're tall, they're proud — and they're getting togetherJourney of a lifetime: A US teen Buddhist lama is now a monk studying in the Himalayan foothillsTrump sopesa paquete de armas para Taiwán tras cumbre destinada a estabilizar lazos EEUU- ChinaTrump administration prepares to seek Raúl Castro indictment as it pressures Cuba, AP sources sayThe Afternoon WireTexas high court rejects removal of Democratic lawmakers who led quorum break over redistrictingFBI offers $200,000 reward to catch ex-Air Force specialist wanted on espionage charges in IranGolden Knights docked 2nd-round pick, John Tortorella fined $100K for breaking media rulesAP Entertainment WireStock markets worldwide drop from records as worries about oil prices rattle the bond marketNipper, stay!
The future of a beloved dog statue on a New York warehouse is up in the airHot dogs and steaks and bacon, oh my! Meat raffles keep a beloved Midwest tradition alivePCOS is now called PMOS.
What the name change means for careHow a low angle and fast lens shaped a photo of Jannik SinnerThe World in PicturesCalifornia, Nevada and Arizona announce temporary plan to save water from the Colorado RiverPediatrics group issues new guidance on recess for the first time in 13 yearsBy changing women's lives, the pill changed the nationSuch great heights: They're tall, they're proud — and they're getting togetherJourney of a lifetime: A US teen Buddhist lama is now a monk studying in the Himalayan foothillsTrump sopesa paquete de armas para Taiwán tras cumbre destinada a estabilizar lazos EEUU- China | Tel Aviv City Hall is lit up with the flag of the United Arab Emirates as UAE and Israel announced they would be establishing full diplomatic ties, Aug. 13, 2020, in Tel Aviv, Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, left, U.S. President Donald Trump, Bahrain Foreign Minister Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa and United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan pose for a photo on the Blue Room Balcony after signing the Abraham Accords at the White House in Washington, Sept. 15, 2020. Tel Aviv City Hall is lit up with the flag of the United Arab Emirates as UAE and Israel announced they would be establishing full diplomatic ties, Aug. 13, 2020, in Tel Aviv, Israel.
Tel Aviv City Hall is lit up with the flag of the United Arab Emirates as UAE and Israel announced they would be establishing full diplomatic ties, Aug. 13, 2020, in Tel Aviv, Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, left, U.S. President Donald Trump, Bahrain Foreign Minister Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa and United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan pose for a photo on the Blue Room Balcony after signing the Abraham Accords at the White House in Washington, Sept. 15, 2020.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, left, U.S. President Donald Trump, Bahrain Foreign Minister Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa and United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan pose for a photo on the Blue Room Balcony after signing the Abraham Accords at the White House in Washington, Sept. 15, 2020. JERUSALEM — The tight relationship between Israel and the United Arab Emirates is typically managed discreetly.
But this week, it was thrust into the open, illuminating tensions underlying the alliance as the Iran war embroils the entire region. As Netanyahu and the Trump administration ballyhoo their alliances as part of an effort to bolster the region’s anti-Iran factions, the Gulf states prefer to downplay these partnerships — a sign of how public ties to Israel remain deeply controversial in the region. Why would the UAE deny Netanyahu’s visit?
Netanyahu’s decision to reveal his wartime trip to Abu Dhabi rocked the boat, particularly coming after Huckabee confirmed military cooperation between the two countries. Reports swirled that Israel’s security chiefs had also visited. The UAE’s official WAM news agency posted an article denying “reports circulating” about the visit.
The agency wrote that the country’s relations with Israel “are public and conducted within the framework of the well-known and officially declared Abraham Accords, and are not based on non-transparent or unofficial arrangements. ”“It complicates Abu Dhabi’s wartime-frame posture by forcing it into the open — which is why the denial was issued so quickly and worded so carefully,” said Hesham Alghannam, a Saudi Arabia-based scholar at the Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center.
Antipathy toward the Jewish state runs high in Arab and Muslim countries across the Middle East. The negative feelings were magnified by the war in Gaza, which began after Hamas, a militant group backed by Iran, attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages.
Israel’s ensuing offensive in Gaza flattened much of the territory and has killed over 72,700 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilian and militant deaths. That conflict spilled across the region, with Israel waging deadly and damaging campaigns against Iran-backed militants in Lebanon and Yemen, and striking militant targets in Qatar and Syria.
“We are the ugly duckling of the Middle East,” said Dan Diker, the president of the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs, a conservative Israeli think tank. Diker, who has had extensive talks and relationships with Abraham Accord countries in the region, said the regional officials with whom he often negotiated always asked to keep things under the radar. Israel and the UAE collaborated militarily during the war with Iran.
Israel benefited from having a defense foothold in a country geographically closer to its archenemy. The UAE, meanwhile, gained access to Israeli military technology, like the Iron Dome air-defense system. The alliance has also been a boon for both countries’ economies, with trade between them rising steadily since 2020. Israel, long isolated in the Middle East, gains legitimacy by partnering with an Arab country.
And the UAE gains power in Washington. Netanyahu faces fierce domestic opposition headed into an election season in Israel. He believes his image is bolstered if he can show his base that he is a Middle East power broker. The Iran war did not much help the leader’s domestic popularity.
One thing that could help it — while strengthening his strained relationship with President Donald Trump — would be more regional powers following the UAE’s lead. Israel is currently in talks with Azerbaijan to join the Abraham Accords. But if Netanyahu was hopeful that broadcasting close Israel-UAE ties could serve as a model for other countries, he may need to temper expectations.
Saudi Arabia, a leader in the region that has resisted joining the Abraham Accords, has taken a different approach throughout the war. It has maintained open lines of communication with Tehran, and has supported Pakistan’s mediation between the sides, said Alghannam, the Saudi Arabia-based scholar.
“The aim is not to take a posture on Israel, per se. It is to refuse entanglement in a war whose dynamics Riyadh did not set and cannot control,” he said.
“Riyadh discussing the full range of options openly, with partners, without locking into one track, is itself a strategic signal,” he said. “The regional security architecture will be designed regionally, not inherited from whatever Washington and Tehran negotiate bilaterally. ”Frankel, based in Jerusalem, has reported from across Israel and the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Her reporting focuses on war, human rights, displacement and criminal justice.
United Arab Emirates Israel Iran War Benjamin Netanyahu Abraham Accords Mike Huckabee General News War And Unrest Israel Government Iran Government United States Government United Arab Emirates Government Military And Defense International News MIDEAST WARS United States Saudi Arabia Government World News World News
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
UAE denies Netanyahu secretly visited the country during the Iran warIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu quietly visited the United Arab Emirates during the Israeli-U.S. war with Iran, his office said Wednesday. The UAE later denied any secret visit had occurred.
Read more »
Bluff or bluster: Why is Netanyahu saying Israel wants to refuse US money?Netanyahu’s claim that Israel could phase out US military aid has raised questions over strategic independence, domestic politics, and the future of US–Israel ties amid shifting American public opinion.
Read more »
Netanyahu says Israel will sue The New York TimesIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government plans to file a defamation lawsuit against The New York Times.
Read more »
Netanyahu Says He Secretly Visited UAE at Height of Iran War, UAE Denies ItFearless Independent Journalism
Read more »