Netanyahu Withdraws West Bank Annexation File Following Emirati Warning

The United Arab Emirates exerted direct pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to abandon plans for West Bank annexation, warning that any unilateral moves would undermine the normalization agreements signed in 2020.

According to i24 News, Netanyahu removed from Thursday’s cabinet agenda the item concerning the imposition of Israeli sovereignty over large parts of the West Bank, after receiving explicit warnings from the UAE that such a step would endanger the “Abraham Accords.” Instead, the cabinet meeting focused on the deteriorating security situation in the Palestinian territories, amid international expectations of discussions on the recognition of a Palestinian state during the upcoming UN General Assembly session.

Citing unnamed sources, the channel reported that “the Emirati warning—that annexation would be a red line threatening the Abraham Accords—prompted Netanyahu to drop the matter from today’s ministerial meeting.” Israeli officials likewise confirmed that “the UAE pressured Netanyahu to abandon the annexation plan,” warning that “any unilateral steps would undermine the normalization agreements reached in 2020.”

Israel concluded normalization agreements with Bahrain, the UAE, Morocco, and Sudan in late 2020, known as the “Abraham Accords.” Saudi Arabia, however, has consistently stated it will not normalize relations until a Palestinian state is established along the 1967 borders—a prospect Netanyahu continues to block.

On Wednesday, Lana Nusseibeh, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Political Affairs and Special Envoy with ministerial rank, warned Israel that West Bank annexation would constitute “a red line” for her country, amounting to a practical rejection of the Abraham Accords.

Her warning followed statements by Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who announced Tel Aviv’s intention to annex 82 percent of the occupied West Bank, insisting on the need to “prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state.” He added that the measure would “eliminate the idea of dividing our small homeland and permanently prevent the creation of a terrorist state at its core,” calling for the annexation of “all open areas.” He reiterated the principle of asserting sovereignty over “the maximum possible land with the minimum number of Palestinian inhabitants.”

Since the start of the Gaza war on October 7, 2023, Israel has intensified measures in the West Bank, including home demolitions, forced displacement, land confiscation, and rapid settlement expansion—all part of an accelerated push for annexation. The United Nations continues to affirm that settlement activity in the occupied territories is illegal, undermining the two-state solution, yet its calls for an end to these practices remain unanswered.

On the international stage, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday criticized France and other countries seeking to recognize a Palestinian state, claiming he had warned them that such moves could prompt Israel to annex the West Bank. He refused to condemn efforts by Israeli officials to push for annexation in hopes of extinguishing any prospect of a sovereign Palestinian state.

Speaking to reporters in Ecuador, Rubio said: “What you are seeing regarding the West Bank and annexation is not final, but a subject of debate among certain Israeli politicians. I will not elaborate today. What I can say is that it was entirely predictable. We informed all these leaders before they made their announcements. There will be no Palestinian state, because that is not how states are created—through press conferences.”

He added: “We told them it would trigger reciprocal measures and make achieving a ceasefire even more difficult.” Rubio further argued that bolstering the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank had emboldened Hamas in Gaza: “The moment the French made their announcement, Hamas walked away from the negotiations.”

Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron has called on the United Nations to convene a summit on September 22, during which he plans to formally recognize the State of Palestine, voicing his frustration over the worsening humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.