UAE opposes Trump’s Palestinian displacement plan

The United Arab Emirates president and ruler informed visiting US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on February 19th that the UAE is against the forced displacement of Palestinians, according to UAE state media, the Middle East Eye via Reuters reported.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan “reaffirmed the UAE’s firm stance, rejecting any attempts to displace the Palestinian people from their land”, as reported by the Emirati state’s news agency, WAM.

This exchange occurred amid Rubio’s four-day Middle East.

Spokesperson for the US State Department, Tami Bruce, said that Rubio’s tour would center on regional cooperation, the release of American captives, and reaching the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement.

During a meeting in Abu Dhabi, President Nahyan told Rubio that linking the reconstruction of Gaza “to a path that leads to a comprehensive and lasting peace based on the two-state solution” was crucial for ensuring regional stability.

This stance may surprise many, as the UAE was the first Gulf Arab nation to normalise ties with Israel during the initial Trump administration, ending years of discreet interactions between the two states.

The two nations signed bilateral agreements covering investment, tourism, direct flights, security, telecommunications, and other areas.

In addition, the UAE inaugurated its embassy in Tel Aviv during 2021.

The UAE’s position is noteworthy since it has contributed to financing reconstruction efforts following previous conflicts.

Almost 2.3 million people in Gaza are now homeless due to Israel’s military assault on the area during the past 16 months.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that nearly every home in Gaza has been damaged or destroyed.

President Nahyan’s stance complicates Trump’s proposals to transform Gaza into a “Riviera of the Middle East” and to resettle Palestinians in Egypt and Jordan amid a US “takeover” of Gaza, a plan that has drawn extensive criticism and been labeled as “ethnic cleansing”.

Leaders from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the UAE, and Qatar are expected to discuss the plan in Riyadh in February 2025 ahead of an emergency Arab summit, taking place in Cairo.

In a statement concerning Rubio’s meeting with President Nahyan, Bruce said: “Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi. The meeting affirmed the vitality of the US-UAE strategic partnership.”

According to Bruce, the Secretary expressed his appreciation for the robust and lasting nature of the relationship, characterised by strong economic ties, defence cooperation, and shared interests in regional stability.

Bruce added: “The conversation also encompassed the remaining challenges in Gaza, ways to advance stability in Syria, Lebanon, and across the region, and ways to address threats to freedom of navigation in the Red Sea.”

The Middle East Eye via Reuters