The UAE is now the first Arab country willing to go along with President Trump’s Gaza plan. UAE Ambassador to the US told moderator Hadley Gamble, “I don’t see an alternative to what’s being proposed. I really don’t.”
“So if someone has [an alternative], we’re happy to discuss it, we’re happy to explore it, but it hasn’t surfaced yet,” Yousef al-Otaiba added. This conversation puts a huge roadblock into the way of Egypt’s el-Sisi as he works to try to block Trump’s plan. With the UAE essentially on board, the Saudis won’t be too far behind.
“We are agile, we make our voices heard and we are very outspoken and unapologetic about this, so just like any relationship, sometimes our friends listen to us, sometimes they don’t, sometimes we agree on certain positions, sometimes we disagree. We’ve always strived to find common ground,” the ambassador continued.
It is clear that just like the Abraham Accords saw the UAE out in front as partners for a New Middle East, now to they want to be on the right side of history and as far as they are concerned, the Gaza plan will deal with the so-called “palestinians” once and for all.
There is almost no doubt now that when President Trump claimed in the press conference when he announced the Gaza relocation plan that he had spoken to others and they were onboard – he was referring to the UAE. The Arab world is often seen as monolithic, but in this case, the UAE understands what has to be done and knows Egypt has chosen wrong.