The United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Saturday issued a sharply worded condemnation of recent Israeli activity in Judea and Samaria and on the Temple Mount, adopting language and accusations typically used by states hostile to Israel, despite its formal diplomatic ties with Jerusalem.
In an official statement, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs denounced what it called the "continued violations" by "Israeli occupation forces and settlers" against the Palestinian population in the "occupied West Bank."
The Ministry also condemned repeated visits by Jews to the Temple Mount, referring to them as "raids" into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and accusing them of provoking Muslim worshippers-terminology that aligns with Palestinian Authority rhetoric.
The statement also condemned the attack on a mosque in the Palestinian village of Kifl Haris, warning that such "arbitrary practices" could lead to heightened tension and further escalation in the region.
Reiterating its position, the Foreign Ministry called for an immediate halt to what it termed "serious and provocative violations" on the Temple Mount (referred to in the statement as Al-Haram Al-Sharif), stressing the need to respect the role of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in the custodianship of Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem. The Ministry emphasized its rejection of any infringement on the authority of the Jerusalem Waqf and its administration over the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Dome of the Rock, and the surrounding areas.
The UAE expressed full solidarity with Jordan and affirmed its support for all measures taken by the Kingdom to protect the holy sites-statements that appear to place the Emirates firmly in line with those regularly criticizing Israeli sovereignty in its capital.
Furthermore, the Ministry placed sole responsibility on Israel to de-escalate the situation and called on it to refrain from steps that could increase instability. It also reaffirmed the UAE's categorical rejection of all practices it claims contravene international legitimacy, warning they could lead to further escalation.
The UAE concluded its statement by urging the international community to intensify efforts toward a comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution and to help fulfill what it described as the aspirations of the Palestinian people for an independent and sovereign state-rhetoric that echoes longstanding demands of Israel’s adversaries in the region.