UAE-Israel Deal Won't Halt Annexation of Palestinian Lands
The Claim
A deal between the United Arab Emirates and Israel on normalizing ties includes an Israeli agreement to halt annexation of Palestinian lands.
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Emerging story
On August 13, 2020, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a deal between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed al Nahyan to agree on normalizing relations between their two countries. The claim was circulating across the MENA region.
Mohammed Bin Zayed said that an agreement was reached to stop Israeli annexation of the Palestinian Territories. He also announced cooperation and said a roadmap is going to be established with Israel.
The Daily Star Lebanon and Al Arabiya English reported that Abdel-Fattah Al Sisi welcomed the UAE-Israel and claimed the deal was halting annexation of Palestinian Lands.
The Times of Israel reported in an article on August 13, 2020 that settlers were against the UAE-Israel peace agreement.
In another article, Israel Times reported that the deal is working on a long term freeze on annexation to allow Palestinians to "negotiate."
Sky News described the deal with UAE as "historic," claiming Israel will halt the annexation of Palestinian land.
Sky News claimed that the deal will see Israel backing down from "unilateral annexation" of areas of the occupied West Bank. They reported that the deal will be signed in the coming weeks. The deal also "firmed up" opposition to regional power Iran, which the UAE, Israel, and the U.S. view as the main threat in the region.
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar's investigation found the circulating claim misleading.
According to Haaretz: "Annexation is still on the table, Netanyahu says, but the U.S. asked Israel to 'temporarily postpone' applying sovereignty to parts of West Bank in order to advance the peace agreement."
On July 1, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was expected to announce Israel's annexation of the Jordan Valley and the Northern Dead Sea.
Annexation is a term used when a state unilaterally incorporates another territory within its borders. Annexing the Jordan Valley would mean that Israel would officially consider it part of the state of Israel.
The West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is seen as occupied territory under international law, thus making all Jewish settlements there – as well as the planned annexation – illegal. The plan’s tacit support for near-term annexation of portions of the West Bank and the Jewish settlements, even before a negotiated deal, turned previous conflict-resolution paradigms on their heads.
Concerns have been expressed around the world over plans by Israel’s prime minister to annex parts of the West Bank.
The so-called “Deal of the Century” envisions Jewish settlements and the Jordan Valley – some 30% of the West Bank and nearly all of the 427,000 Jewish residents there – being incorporated into Israel. A handful of Israeli settlements would remain as enclaves within the Palestinian state, and Israel would have to observe a building freeze in those areas.
In return for the annexation of West Bank lands, the plan suggested, subject to approval, that Israel would swap Israeli Arab towns adjacent to the West Bank as well as portions of the Negev desert.
While U.S. President Donald Trump announced the deal, Netanyahu said he had only agreed to "delay" the annexation, and that he would "never give up our rights to our land."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to delay annexation in the occupied West Bank as part of a normalization deal with the United Arab Emirates, but the plans remain "on the table."
Israel and the UAE agreed to normalize diplomatic ties in a landmark deal brokered by the U.S. In the deal, Tel Aviv pledged to halt annexation of Palestinian lands.
However, the two countries are expected soon to exchange ambassadors and embassies. The agreement envisions giving Muslims greater access to the Al-Aqsa Mosque in the Old City of Jerusalem by allowing them to fly from Abu Dhabi to Tel Aviv, White House officials said.
Annexation is only being postponed, not halted.
