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Saudis team up with UAE to block Israeli annexation of Judea and Samaria

Riyadh and Abu Dhabi reportedly form united front to pressure Israel not to apply sovereignty over parts of Judea and Samaria, threatening Abraham Accords if Israel moves forward with the plan.

By World Israel News Staff

The United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia are working together to pressure Israel not to move forward with plans to apply sovereignty over parts of Judea and Samaria, Israel’s national broadcaster reported Saturday evening.

Abu Dhabi recently warned Israel that the annexation of any territory in Judea and Samaria would constitute a “red line” and would blow up efforts to achieve broad recognition of Israel across the Arab world.

“It would foreclose the idea of regional integration and be the death knell of the two-state solution,” Emirati Special Envoy Lana Nusseibeh told The Times of Israel last Wednesday.

Now, according to a report by Kan, Saudi Arabia has joined the UAE’s bid to prevent the application of Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria.

Citing a source close to the Saudi royal family, the report claimed that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto ruler of the Saudi kingdom, spoke with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan about efforts to curtail Israel’s annexation plans during their meeting in Riyadh last week.

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During their meeting, the two leaders reportedly agreed that should Israel extend its sovereignty over parts of Judea and Samaria, Saudi Arabia would halt all efforts with Israel towards normalization, while the UAE would scuttle its existing deal with Israel under the Abraham Accords.

Last Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu canceled plans to deliberate with senior Israeli officials on the extension of Israeli sovereignty over parts of Judea and Samaria, beginning with the Jordan Valley.

Reports carried by local media outlets claimed Israel was blindsided by the UAE’s public comments last week after ignoring private overtures by Abu Dhabi.

Netanyahu has pushed for the annexation of parts of Judea and Samaria since 2019, but he shelved his plans in 2020 in exchange for normalization deals with the UAE and Bahrain, establishing the Abraham Accords.

According to former US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, Israel agreed to freeze its annexation plans for approximately four years, up until the 2024 US presidential election.

Israel is now considering extending its sovereignty over parts of Judea and Samaria as a response to the pending recognition of unilateral Palestinian statehood by multiple Western powers, slated to take place at the United Nations later this month.

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Canada, Britain, France, and Australia have all signaled their intentions to recognize Palestinian statehood, despite the lack of a final status agreement between the Palestinian Authority and Israel.