An enduring commitment to Palestinians

Abu Dhabi has continuously repeated its unequivocal position towards the cause and support for the Palestinians

The UAE remains committed to supporting a sovereign Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital on territory captured by Israel in the 1967 war.

Abu Dhabi has continuously repeated its unequivocal position towards the cause and its support for the Palestinian people in restoring their legitimate rights in line with international resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative.

“The UAE supports peace efforts in Palestine and a solution that is based on the 1967 borders,” Dr Anwar Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, said last month.

Since December last year, Arab states have been trying to counter US President Donald Trump’s move to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, a decision that overturned decades of American policy on the Middle East.

Mr Trump’s recognition infuriated the Arab world and upset western allies, who say it is a blow to peace efforts and risks sparking more violence in the region.

The UAE and other Arab states consider East Jerusalem, which Israel annexed after capturing it from Jordan in a 1967 war, to be occupied territory and say the status of the city should be decided at future Israeli-Palestinian talks.

“A US peace plan must clearly set out as an end goal a two-state solution in line with established final status parameters, past UN resolutions and international law,” said Hugh Lovatt, a policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations.

Relations between the two states have been historical and vital for the stability of the region, Nabil Shaath, adviser to Palestinian President Mahmoud

Abbas, told The National.

“It’s a historical relationship that started with Sheikh

Zayed and Yasser Arafat, and it’s a strategic relationship based on support and alliance and has always been like that,” Mr Shaath said.

“The relationship with the

UAE and our brotherly Arab countries have to always be close and important because of our joint aspirations, history and interests, now and in the future.”

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees has thanked the UAE, other Gulf countries and the EU for their contributions after their budget shortfall increased drastically following US funding cuts this year.

In August, Mr Trump slashed all of Washington’s aid to the agency that helps millions of Palestinians displaced after the creation of Israel in 1948, leaving it facing its biggest crisis in its existence.

The UN agency’s commissioner general, Pierre Krahenbuhl, thanked Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Kuwait, saying they had helped to plug the deficit by contributing $50 million (Dh183.6m) each.

The UAE’s total contribution last year was $26.7m, which includes contributions from the UAE government and organisations such as the Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation, the Emirates Red Crescent and Dubai Cares.

The UAE also contributed $98.7m in aid to Palestine last year.

Overall, last year the UAE sources contributed more than $125m in support of the Palestinian people. Since the start of this year, the UAE has pledged an additional $75m for Palestine, including $50m to the UN agency.

“In addition to our ongoing and substantial financial support to the Palestinian people, the UAE is strongly supportive of the ongoing efforts by the international community to address the root causes of this protracted conflict and restart a political dialogue for peace,” Lana Nusseibeh, the UAE’s ambassador and permanent representative to the UN, said in July.