Benjamin Netanyahu
Photographer: Abir Sultan / AFP / Getty Images
Photographer: Abir Sultan / AFP / Getty Images
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s attempts to create a pre-election buzz around new normalization measures in the Middle East suffered another blow when Qatar denied it was pursuing such a plan.
Netanyahu said last week that four countries are on track to establish diplomatic relations with their country, and his intelligence minister later identified Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar and Niger as potential partners.
Saudi Arabian State Minister of Foreign Affairs Adel Al-Jubeir said on Saturday that normalization depends on resolving Israel’s conflict with the Palestinians. An official at the Qatari Foreign Ministry said on Sunday that the same condition applies to his country. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss diplomatic strategy.
Netanyahu’s attempt to mix diplomacy with electoral policy sparked a heated response from the United Arab Emirates, which in August became the first Arab Gulf nation to agree to normalize ties with Israel. Netanyahu planned a March 11 visit to Abu Dhabi, less than two weeks before Israel’s election. After it was canceled due to a disagreement with Jordan, United Arab Emirates presidential adviser Anwar Gargash said his country “will not participate in any internal electoral campaign in Israel, now or ever”.
Sultan Al Jaber, UAE’s minister of industry and advanced technology, lowered expectations regarding Netanyahu’s statement this month that the country would invest $ 10 billion in Israeli projects, saying the studies were at an early stage and any investments would be “commercially oriented and not politically associated.”