Sheikh Abdullah blames Israeli actions for escalating violence

UAE Foreign Minister points to repressive policies against Palestinians and failure to reach peace deal.

The UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed arrives to chair an emergency meeting on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in Riyadh on November 9, 2015. Faisal Al Nasser / Reuters

New York // The UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed on Monday condemned Israel for the sharp increase in violence aimed at Palestinians by Israeli security forces and extremist Jewish settlers.

Sheikh Abdullah accused Israel of committing “war crimes” in the violence that has killed 77 Palestinians since the start of October. He called on the UN Security Council to pass a resolution protecting Palestinians in the occupied territories and East Jerusalem.

Israel is attempting to change the status quo of the Al Aqsa site, and is desecrating the sanctity of the mosque and other Muslim and Christian holy sites, Sheikh Abdullah said according to WAM.

He spoke while chairing an emergency meeting of Arab foreign ministers in Riyadh to discuss the crisis in the occupied territories and the failure of the US-brokered peace process.

He also demanded an end to “all forms of unfair blockade on the occupied Palestinian territories”.

“Israel is mainly responsible for the escalation of violent acts as a result of its continuous occupation of Palestinian territories and its unlawful measures against the Palestinian people,’’ Sheikh Abdullah said, adding that the Palestinian cause is the key cause of extremism in the Middle East.

“We believe that the procrastination of the Israel government towards the peace process has resulted in the current state of frustration in the international community despite its tireless diplomatic efforts,” he said.

“It is unacceptable to speak about reciprocal violence and liken the resistance to aggression, particularly amid the repeated aggressions by Jewish settlers against the Palestinians.”

Sheikh Abdullah’s comments came as the leaders of the US and Israel met for talks for the first time in over a year, as they sought to reset their strained relationship and discuss shared regional concerns as well as an increased US aid package.

They also discussed the peace process, though Mr Obama has dramatically scaled back his goals and expectations as Mr Netanyahu has shown no desire to pursue substantive talks, and even hinted that he no longer supported a two-state solution during his re-election campaign.

Random knife attacks by Palestinians have followed a surge in settler violence and a crackdown by Israeli forces on Palestinians protesting any change to the Al Aqsa status quo. Right-wing Israeli politicians allied with Mr Netanyahu have increased visits to the site and have said they will seek to allow Jewish prayer there.

Mr Netanyahu, in a confidence-building gesture to Mr Obama, said before their meeting that he supported “two states for two peoples”, but reiterated his position that any Palestinian state must be demilitarised and recognise Israel as a Jewish state, both conditions Palestinian officials say are unacceptable.

Mr Obama condemned “Palestinian violence” and said he believed “Israel has not just the right, but the obligation to defend itself”. He added that they would also discuss how “we can lower the temperature between Israelis and Palestinians” and “how we can make sure that legitimate Palestinian aspirations are met through a political process”.

The US president said he and Mr Netanyahu also discussed the implementation of the nuclear deal with Iran and how to blunt Tehran’s “destabilising activities” in the region.

“This is going to be an opportunity for the prime minister and myself to engage in a wide-ranging discussion on some of the most pressing security issues that both our countries face,” Mr Obama said at the White House before the meeting. “It’s no secret that the security environment in the Middle East has deteriorated in many areas, and as I’ve said repeatedly, the security of Israel is one of my top foreign policy priorities.”

The meeting is the first between the two leaders since the Iran nuclear deal was reached, and the first time they have spoken face-to-face in over a year. Mr Netanyahu bitterly opposed the negotiations, and his public opposition included lobbying the US congress to scuttle the talks and a speech in the US legislature planned without consulting the White House. Relations between the two administrations plummeted and led to the most significant crisis in bilateral relations in a generation.

Mr Netanyahu’s refusal to halt settlement construction in the West Bank as the US attempted to broker a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict also contributed to the deterioration in ties.

But with the rancour around the Iran deal receding, both leaders have growing incentives to clear the air and focus on shared interests.

For Mr Netanyahu, that will have meant pursuing discussions with Mr Obama on a new 10-year US military aid package for Israel, the single largest recipient of US aid since the Second World War. The last package, which has delivered $3.1 billion (Dh11.4bn) annually, was signed with Mr Obama’s predecessor in 2007 and expires in 2017.

Mr Netanyahu told a Knesset committee last month that he would seek to increase the amount of annual aid to over $4bn, according to Haaretz.

Despite his re-election in March, Mr Netanyahu’s spat with the White House was unpopular in Israel and has sparked serious concerns in Israel’s security establishment about its effect on the strategic relationship with the US. Progress on a new aid agreement will signal to the Israeli public that Mr Netanyahu’s opposition to the Iran deal did not fundamentally change Israel’s most important bilateral relationship, and that he has secured significant concessions.

For Mr Obama, the discussions on military aid and enhanced security cooperation come as he seeks to reduce tensions with Mr Netanyahu and underline his pro-Israel credentials ahead of US elections where the issue may dog the Democratic nominee.