There is increasing pressure to exclude the Emirati regime from the Arab system due to rising evidence of Abu Dhabi’s alignment against regional security and its antagonism towards the Palestinian cause, all while it seeks a complete alliance with Israel.
For many years, the UAE has opposed Arab revolutions and consistently aligned against democratic movements. This supports Israel’s stance on regional transformation and has drawn the UAE nearer to the occupying force.
The UAE led normalization efforts with Israel in the last year of Trump’s first term. However, it went beyond just political normalization; it sought public acceptance to a level unmatched in Egypt or Jordan, even though those nations had formed official ties with Israel many years prior.
UAE embraces Israeli engagement while others remain quiet
Actually, an Israeli citizen cannot freely walk around Cairo or Amman while displaying their flag or religious symbols, even with substantial security present. In the UAE, the visibility of Israelis in public spaces and entertainment venues has become completely normalized, disregarding Arab, religious, and security principles.
The genocidal war in Gaza has exposed a new facet of the UAE’s bias towards Israel, particularly evident in its official statements condemning resistance movements. In comparison, Egypt has offered little official criticism of these groups, while Jordan has hardly criticized them at all, even though both governments have political conflicts with Palestinian resistance factions and Islamist groups. The UAE has consistently denounced Hamas, labeling its attacks as ‘brutal.’ Emirati representatives stress what they term the killing of “civilians” in the occupying entity.
In this context, it’s crucial to understand the kind of assistance offered to Palestinians. Although overall aid is restricted and tightly monitored by Israel, relief workers, journalists reporting on the situation, and even delivery drivers are aware that some aid trucks show up either empty or only partially filled, often just for publicity, and many don’t even enter Gaza.
Moreover, the UAE acted as a launchpad for the land bridge, circumventing the Houthi naval blockade on Israeli ports—a route that has expanded to other Arab nations. Egypt facilitates the transit of naval vessels or ships carrying arms to Israel, which is not permitted.
UAE joins forces with Israeli far-right
Just prior to the ongoing Israeli offensive in Gaza, the Emirati embassy hosted a Ramadan iftar in occupied Jaffa (Tel Aviv), hosting various officials advocating for the removal and elimination of Gaza’s inhabitants, such as Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana and National Security Council head Tzachi Hanegbi.
At the same time, a group from West Bank settlements traveled to Abu Dhabi, where they met with Rashid Al Nuaimi, who is a member of the UAE’s Federal National Council and leads its Defense, Interior, and Foreign Affairs committees.
Perhaps the most concerning statement comes from Yousef Al Otaiba, the UAE’s ambassador to the U.S. He remarked on Trump’s proposal to relocate Palestinians from Gaza, stating, “There are no genuine alternatives to Trump’s plan for Gaza.”
This wasn’t just a casual comment—no Emirati official has openly dismissed it, signaling a clear departure from the Arab consensus that opposes the forced displacement of Palestinians. The UAE’s position aligns it closely with the far-right factions in Israel and the United States, directly contradicting Arab national security interests.
As the latest Israeli conflict in Gaza unfolds this month, the UAE has chosen to remain silent, in contrast to other neighboring Arab nations. While the U.S. supports this conflict, the White House revealed that the UAE plans to invest $1.4 trillion in the U.S. over the coming decade.
That enormous amount could effectively address the shared crises facing the Arab world when invested locally. However, the Emirati regime appears to prioritize acquiring influence over impoverished Arab nations at cut-rate prices, in return for managing their resource decisions.
Simultaneously, the UAE pays homage to the forces backing its regime — the U.S. and Israel, which further underscores the inconsistency in its relationships with Arab countries compared to the West, revealing the alignment it has selected: one that jeopardizes Arab security.