Turkey accuses UAE of 'betrayal to Palestinian cause' after deal with Israel

Photo: AA/File

Click to read the article in Turkish

The "normalization" agreement between Israel and the UAE is part of a US plan that is "stillborn and null and void, ignores the willpower of Palestine," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a written statement today (August 14).

Accusing the UAE of "betraying the Palestinian cause for its narrow interests," the ministry said, adding that the peoples of the region will never forget and forgive its "hypocritical behavior."

Israel and the UAE have agreed for a "full normalization" of relations, US President Donald Trump announced yesterday (August 13), in a move forestalling Israel's controversial plans to annex large swathes of the occupied West Bank.

The development marks only the third time an Arab state has opened full diplomatic ties with Israel, and the Emirates is now the first Gulf Arab state to do so. Other Arab states with diplomatic ties with Israel are Egypt and Jordan.

Expressing support to the people and the administration of Palestine on their reactions against the recent deal, Turkey also expressed serious concerns over the UAE aiming to unilaterally abolish the Arab Peace Plan.

"With that being the case, there is no credibility in presenting the trilateral declaration as a support to the Palestinian cause," the communique read.

The ministry statement also noted that the UAE administration "has no authority to negotiate with Israel on behalf of Palestine without consent from its people and administration, regarding vital matters."

"Neither history nor the collective conscience of the region will ever forget and forgive the hypocritical behavior of the UAE, which is trying to depict the deal as a sacrifice for Palestine when in reality it is a betrayal to the Palestinian cause for its own narrow interests," it added. (PT/VK)