The French newspaper Le Monde has exposed what it described as a deceptive façade maintained by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) regarding the Gaza genocide and its strategic alliance with Israel, which continues to undermine the Palestinian cause and Arab consensus.
In a powerful op-ed titled “The UAE’s Gaza Trilogy”, French academic and historian Jean-Pierre Filiu highlighted that while Abu Dhabi deepens its strategic partnership with Israel, it pretends to align with the Arab consensus on Palestinian statehood and seeks praise for its so-called humanitarian efforts in Gaza.
The “Middle East Riviera” Vision for a Depopulated Gaza
Filiu cited shocking remarks that “there is no alternative—indeed, no alternative whatsoever—to Donald Trump’s plan to turn Gaza into a ‘Middle Eastern Riviera’—once its population is removed.”
These statements were not made in Washington or Tel Aviv, but in Dubai, just last month, by Yousef Al-Otaiba, the UAE’s powerful ambassador to the United States.
Al-Otaiba, who has held his position since 2008, has used his tenure to build deep relationships across the American political spectrum and to run an effective campaign to rebrand the UAE’s image internationally.
He was at the heart of negotiations for the strategic partnership treaty between Abu Dhabi and Israel, signed in September 2020 in Washington—an agreement that many Emiratis continue to view as a “shameful normalisation deal.”
It was during this period that Al-Otaiba forged close ties with Donald Trump and his inner circle—relationships that remain critically important today.
Not a Slip of the Tongue — But Official Policy
Filiu underscored that Al-Otaiba’s statements cannot be dismissed as personal missteps. On the contrary, they reflect the official political direction of Abu Dhabi, especially given Al-Otaiba’s close connection to President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed and Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed.
While the UAE officially joined the Arab League’s collective declaration in support of Palestinian statehood at the recent Cairo summit, these contradictory actions speak louder than symbolic gestures.
The peace agreement between Israel and the UAE makes no mention of a Palestinian state, and fully aligns with the Trump-Netanyahu “Peace to Prosperity” plan announced in January 2020. This proposal, rejected unanimously by Palestinians, called for the annexation of parts of East Jerusalem and the West Bank, and the disarmament of Hamas in exchange for transferring Gaza’s governance to the Palestinian Authority (PA).
At the same time, Filiu noted, Abu Dhabi has worked to weaken PA President Mahmoud Abbas by supporting his rival, Mohammed Dahlan—a former Fatah leader from Gaza now based in the UAE.
Fueling Chaos Within Fatah — Empowering the Enemy They Claim to Oppose
In refugee camps across Gaza, Fatah flags often represent Dahlan loyalists, according to Filiu. Despite enjoying extensive Emirati backing, Dahlan’s supporters remain unable to return to Gaza, with Hamas permitting their activities only in limited humanitarian roles.
Paradoxically, while trying to undermine Hamas, these policies have only deepened division within Fatah, thus indirectly consolidating Hamas’ control—the very force the UAE claims to oppose.
Staged Humanitarian Optics, Strategic Silence
With no credible political partners on the ground, Abu Dhabi shifted in March 2024 to work with the U.S. NGO World Central Kitchen, delivering aid shipments from Cyprus to Gaza by sea, despite widespread calls to reopen land crossings.
But the operation collapsed after the Israeli airstrike on April 1, 2024, which killed three international volunteers, three British security personnel, and a Palestinian driver.
Filiu noted that while the UAE later sent 2,500 aid trucks through Egypt, this only covered five days’ worth of basic needs for Gaza’s population.
Efforts to circumvent Egypt’s control over aid routes and limit their media exploitation achieved little—failing to produce the positive PR that Abu Dhabi hoped would offset its political silence on Israel’s war crimes.
Though Gazan beneficiaries appreciated the quality of the UAE’s humanitarian aid—food, clothing, and medical equipment—the actual number of evacuated patients fell drastically short. President Mohamed bin Zayed personally oversaw some evacuations, but only a few hundred were flown to Abu Dhabi, far below the estimated 12,000 cases in need of urgent medical transfer.
A Dinner with Trump as Bombs Fell on Gaza
Filiu concluded with a striking example: just one day after Israel resumed its war on Gaza, Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed, the UAE’s National Security Adviser and brother of the president, visited the White House and attended a private dinner with Donald Trump—without any public mention of Gaza.
This silence, Filiu argued, represents a tacit endorsement of Israel’s military campaign and a betrayal of the Palestinian cause.
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