Israel Hayom: Israel-UAE Relations in Continuous Decline

Translation by SadaNews - The Hebrew newspaper Israel Hayom reported on Friday details of the UAE leadership's reaction to the attack targeting Hamas leaders in the Qatari capital, Doha.

The newspaper cited several sources stating that UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed was very angry about the attack, according to SadaNews translation.

According to the newspaper, bin Zayed held a quick meeting where several options were on the table requiring a decisive decision, including the suspension of the Abraham Accords.

The newspaper reported from an Israeli source, in contact with the UAE's security leadership for years: "This has been the biggest obstacle facing the Abraham Accords so far," indicating that the option to suspend those agreements was dismissed as an option that could have been considered.

The UAE described the attack as reckless and aggressive.

The next day, the participation of Israeli defense industries in the Dubai Airshow was canceled, and the Israeli ambassador, Yossi Shelly, was later summoned for a reprimand. He was told: "Israel's aggressive and provocative behavior establishes an unacceptable reality."

The Hebrew newspaper considered bin Zayed's visit to Qatar the day after the attack, in a gesture of solidarity with its emir, as the most significant diplomatic move in response to the assault, as well as a clear message to Israel that "enough is enough."

The newspaper indicates that the attack in Doha has pushed the relationship between Israel and the UAE to its lowest point for the first time since the signing of the Abraham Accords.

The newspaper revealed that the UAE leadership has long felt deep frustration and disappointment toward Israel, constantly questioning the benefits gained from the Abraham Accords, especially following failed economic deals, the presence of an ambassador who evokes negative sentiments, and extremist statements from Israeli government ministers, along with significant doubts regarding Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The paper believes that the UAE's patience is running thin with Israel.

The Hebrew newspaper also translated by SadaNews reported from Emirati sources saying that the Arab and Islamic accusations directed at the UAE for its role and relationships with the Israelis do not equal what the country can gain from the Abraham Accords.

A senior Israeli official in the cybersecurity sector, who has worked with the UAE for many years, stated: "The Abraham Accords put the UAE under the watchful eyes of Iran and other Islamic countries, and from their perspective, it was a risky step."

He added: "But when I ask the UAE about the gains they have achieved from the Abraham Accords, their answer is: a 450% increase in alerts related to terrorist attacks," pointing out that during the Twelve Days War, for example, there were hundreds of Iranian attempts to harm Israelis on Emirati soil, and the UAE is busy combating these attempts vigorously.

He continued: "On the other hand, economically and politically, they are not getting everything they could from Israel. It's like people being expelled from the city and eating spoiled fish."

The newspaper noted that the situation has worsened during the war on Gaza due to the killing of Palestinians, indicating that the general Emirati public sympathizes with the Palestinians, putting their leaders under pressure.

According to many Israeli experts and officials working in the UAE, the Abraham Accords are far from achieving the promises they contained. One of them said: "The relationship between Israel and the UAE has unmatched national strategic potential, but it is being wasted."

According to the newspaper, there is a general mistrust among Emiratis towards Israel, especially Netanyahu and his government, which is why he could not get the opportunity to visit the UAE, while some of his critics received this opportunity.

Israeli sources say that Netanyahu plays a significant role in creating this troubled atmosphere with the UAE. One source that communicates daily with many Emiratis said: "After the Abraham Accords, and during the six months Netanyahu spent in power, the relations saw a period of harmony, and this situation continued during the Bennett-Lapid government, which reaped the benefits of the agreement, but since Netanyahu's return to power in 2022, the Emiratis have become very suspicious of him."

The newspaper stated that the statements of Netanyahu's government ministers regarding the killing of Palestinians have outraged the Emiratis. It quoted an Israeli source as saying, as translated by SadaNews, "I recently sat with the son of one of the princes, and he said to me: I don't understand, your ministers talk about genocide in Gaza and seizing the Al-Aqsa Mosque... Is this really the Israeli position? The Emiratis are a people naturally inclined to peace, and they are completely neutral... They joined Israel in a moderate alliance, and suddenly find Israel to be a troubled player in the Middle East... This causes them significant psychological pressure."