Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stepped back from pursuing annexation of Judea and Samaria after warnings from the United Arab Emirates that such a move would cross a “red line” and jeopardize the Abraham Accords. According to Israeli officials, Emirati pressure was a decisive factor in Netanyahu’s decision to pull the issue off the agenda. Abu Dhabi cautioned that applying sovereignty over large parts of the territory would seriously damage the 2020 normalization deal, with one senior Emirati official warning it “would destroy the Abraham Accords.” The backlash followed Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s call for annexing 82 percent of the land, which the UAE strongly condemned as undermining normalization.

Israel’s defense establishment has also advised caution, warning ministers that Judea and Samaria remain highly unstable due to economic strain and political volatility, and that the area “could erupt instantly” if annexation were pursued. While recent military operations have reduced attacks in northern refugee camps, regional unease over Netanyahu’s broader comments about a “Greater Israel” has compounded tensions. His remarks, which referenced Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, and Syria, sparked protests from neighboring states. Netanyahu later clarified in English that Israel does not claim territory from its neighbors, a walk-back Jordanian and Egyptian leaders privately viewed as a diplomatic victory.

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SOURE: World Israel News