Brave Step Toward Peace: UAE Minister Meets Netanyahu to End Conflict

The UAE's top diplomat defended a controversial meeting between the country's foreign minister and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calling it a "courageous step" to help end the war in Gaza. The meeting in New York has drawn attention as regional tensions remain high and ceasefire efforts continue to stall.

Dr. Anwar Gargash, diplomatic advisor to the UAE president, said the meeting between Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed and Netanyahu was aimed at supporting international efforts to reach a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. He compared it to the UAE's previous diplomatic success in 2020, when it helped prevent Israel from annexing parts of the West Bank as part of the Abraham Accords normalization deal.

The timing of this meeting is significant. It comes as the war in Gaza approaches its first anniversary, with over 40,000 Palestinians killed according to Gaza health authorities. Multiple ceasefire attempts have failed, and the humanitarian crisis continues to worsen.

For the UAE, this represents a continuation of its strategy to use its normalized relationship with Israel as a diplomatic tool. The Emirates has positioned itself as a bridge between Israel and the Arab world since signing the Abraham Accords. But this approach has faced criticism from other Arab nations and Palestinian groups who argue that normalization hasn't delivered the promised benefits for Palestinians.

The meeting also highlights the UAE's broader foreign policy approach under its current leadership. The country has consistently tried to maintain relationships with all sides in regional conflicts, from Iran to Israel to various Arab states. This sometimes puts it at odds with allies like Saudi Arabia, which has taken a harder line on Israel since the Gaza war began.

Whether this diplomatic outreach will lead to concrete results remains unclear. Previous UAE-mediated discussions have had mixed success, and the current Israeli government has shown little flexibility on ceasefire terms that would be acceptable to Hamas and other Palestinian factions.