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UAE warns any Israeli annexation plans will 'betray spirit of Abraham Accords'
'Annexation by Israel of Palestinian land, if pursued, will close the door to integration; for the UAE, it is a matter of peace for our region', said Lana Nusseibeh
- PUBLISHED: Mon 8 Sept 2025, 11:22 AM UPDATED: Mon 8 Sept 2025, 12:39 PM
The future of Palestine remains central to achieving peace in the Middle East, UAE Assistant Minister for Political Affairs Lana Nusseibeh said on Monday, warning that Israeli annexation of Palestinian land would betray the spirit of the Abraham Accords.
Speaking at the Hili Forum 2025 in Abu Dhabi, Nusseibeh said the accords signed five years ago were built on the hope of coexistence and regional integration, but only if they led to the creation of an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel.
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“The future of Palestine continues to be the cornerstone of a peaceful future for the Middle East,” she said. “Annexation by Israel of Palestinian land, if pursued, would not only close the door to peace and integration, it would betray the very spirit of the Abraham Accords. For the UAE, this is not a matter of politics alone. It is a matter of principle, and it is a matter of peace for our region. It is also a red line.”
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The Abraham Accords — signed during US President Donald Trump's first term in office back in September 2020 — saw the UAE, Bahrain, and Morocco normalise diplomatic relations with Israel after mediation by the American government.
Last week, in a statement shared with Khaleej Times, Nusseibeh called for an end to the war in Gaza, securing the release of all hostages, and ensuring that Hamas is disarmed and no longer able to control Gaza or its people. It came after a report suggested that Israel is considering annexation in the occupied West Bank as a possible response to France and other countries recognising a Palestinian state.
UAE aid to Gaza
The UAE has emerged as the largest bilateral donor to Gaza, Nusseibeh added. “We’ve delivered 44 per cent of all humanitarian aid to the Strip and have evacuated almost 3,000 refugees, ill patients and their companions from that hellscape for treatment in the UAE.” The UAE’s humanitarian work, insistence on a political horizon, and rejection of extremism “reinforce the global commitment to human dignity, coexistence and peace.”
Iran and Gulf security
Nusseibeh also touched on Iran’s nuclear programme, which she said remains a source of instability. “Unaddressed, it risks a dangerous confrontation, as the strikes on Iranian facilities earlier this summer made painfully clear. Force may delay a danger, but it cannot resolve it.”
The UAE, she noted, continues to advocate diplomacy and a regional security framework that includes all stakeholders. “No order endures through confrontation. No system survives on exclusion. And no peace is secured through aggression.”
Navigating rivalry
Nusseibeh warned that rivalry among major powers had weakened global institutions, disrupted trade and eroded rules. Yet, she said, the shifts also created “meaningful opportunities” for new partnerships. She pointed to the UAE’s widening diplomacy, citing its preserved bonds with the US and Europe, while expanding ties across Asia and Africa and joining new multilateral platforms such as BRICS+.
On the war in Ukraine, she highlighted the UAE’s mediation of over 4,600 prisoner exchanges, which she said was “proof that dialogue is possible even where mistrust runs deepest.”
Sudan and regional conflicts
The minister also drew attention to Sudan, where the UAE has provided nearly $4 billion in aid over the past decade. “We believe that this devastating civil war must stop and that neither of the warlords have a place in Sudan’s future,” she said. From Gaza to Khartoum, Kyiv to Damascus, Nusseibeh said the UAE’s approach is consistent: “Act with principle, engage with all, and work tirelessly to turn conflict into coexistence.”
UAE's foreign policy
The UAE’s foreign policy is designed to protect security, safeguard prosperity and enable aspirations at home while contributing to the “repair of the global fabric,” she added, emphasising that in a fractured world, resilience must underpin governance and diplomacy.
“Standing still does not offer safety. It invites exposure and decisions being made on your behalf,” she said. “Resilience is how we navigate it, containing risks, creating openings, and shaping systems strong enough to hold. That is how we safeguard our people’s security, expand their prosperity, and enable their aspirations. And that is how, together, we can repair the rules and institutions on which a more stable order depends.”
Organised by the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy (AGDA) and the Emirates Centre for Strategic Studies and Research (ECSSR), the second edition of Hili Forum brings together over 60 speakers and 1,000 participants from more than 30 countries to discuss the profound shifts shaping the global landscape, from economic realignment and technological disruption to evolving geopolitical dynamics.
