Palestinian Authority under pressure to moderate stance on UAE-Israel normalization agreement ahead of Arab League meeting

The Palestinian Authority will discuss a draft resolution in an upcoming Arab League session, which will emphasize the 2002 Arab Initiative on the resolution of the conflict between Israel and Palestine; it will, however, moderate its criticism of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for normalizing relations with Israel due to pressure from Manama and Abu Dhabi.

The Palestinian envoy is reported to have presented a draft resolution to the 22-member regional organization, which apparently does not entail a call to decry, or act against, the Emirates for the US-brokered accord.

The motion, viewed by Reuters this past Tuesday, stated that the Israel-US-Emirates announcement “doesn’t diminish Arab consensus over the Palestinian cause, the Palestinian cause is the cause of the entire Arab nation.”

“The trilateral announcement doesn’t change the principal Arab vision based on the fact that the two-state solution on the 1967 borders is the only way to achieve peace in the Middle East,” read the resolution, which will be put to discussion by Arab foreign in during the meeting which will be held in Cairo on Wednesday.

The overall tone of the draft is somewhat different from that of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who had previously denounced the UAE-Israel deal as “betrayal” and a “stab in the back of the Palestinian cause.”

In an official joint statement by the White House on August 13, Israel and the UAE made the announcement that they had “agreed to the full normalization of relations.”

It was ensued by the UAE removing its economic boycott against the Israeli regime, allowing normalized trade and financial accords between the two countries.

Abbas banned the use of any offensive statements and/or actions towards Arab leaders, including but not limited to Emirati rulers.

In an official statement carried by the Wafa news agency, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, Abbas’ spokesma, stated that the Palestinian president “will not accept insulting the national symbols of Arab nations, including the United Arab Emirates.”

Two days before that, the Palestinian Authority had levelled severe criticism at the UAE and Bahrain for blocking a draft resolution that demanded Arab states abide by the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative before normalization of ties with Israel.

This initiative demands establishing relations with Israeli regime in exchange for the regime’s withdrawal to the 1967 borders, a fair solution for Palestinian refugees, and occupied East Jerusalem al-Quds as the capital of a future Palestinian state.

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