Saudi Arabia has given the United Arab Emirates its blessing to reconsider normalization with Israel should moves be made toward the annexation of the West Bank, Israel’s Kan news outlet reports, citing a source close to the Saudi royal family.
According to the report, the issue was discussed during a recent meeting between Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman and UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed, who met in Riyadh last week. The Saudi Press Agency reported that the two discussed “the latest developments in Palestine,” among other matters.
Kan quotes the source saying the two agreed that a pullback from the Abraham Accords would be a “realistic” option should moves toward annexation be made.
The source adds that any such move would also halt progress toward normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
The UAE agreed to normalize relations with Israel in 2020 in exchange for Israel shelving plans to annex parts of the West Bank, in a move widely seen as having Riyadh’s tacit backing.
Abu Dhabi recently dispatched a number of warnings to Israel against revived plans to extend sovereignty to parts of the territory, including in an interview with The Times of Israel, an official statement and via backchannel sources. According to The Washington Post, the statements alarmed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the point that annexation was taken off the agenda for a Thursday night cabinet meeting.
Riyadh earlier today published a statement condemning Israeli comments on displacing Palestinians in Gaza, and accusing Israel of genocide. The statement made no direct reference to West Bank annexation.