Posted 2 years ago
The United Arab Emirates warned that any moves to change the historic identity of Jerusalem threaten peace, and called on Israel to put an end to violence following the latest clashes between Israelis and Palestinians in the city.
The statement was a rare criticism of Israel from the Arab nation since the two countries signed a normalization agreement last year and have been pushing ahead with increasingly warm ties.
“The United Arab Emirates has expressed concern over the acts of violence committed by right-wing extremist groups in the occupied East Jerusalem, which have resulted in injuries among civilians,” the statement said.
Hundreds of young Palestinian took to the streets each evening to protest the barricades. Crowds hurled stones, firebombs and other objects at police, while officers used stun grenades and water cannons to disperse them.
The Israeli decision appeared to have been reversed late Sunday, when the barricades were suddenly removed. The violence had escalated to cross-border fighting between Israel and Gaza’s militant Hamas group.
Also last week, a far-right Israeli group called Lehava staged a massive demonstration, with demonstrators chanting “Death to Arabs” and “Arabs Get Out," just a few hundred meters (yards) from the Palestinian crowds.
Two other Mideast countries with longstanding diplomatic ties with Israel had earlier called on Israel to end the violence. Jordan, which acts as the custodian over Jerusalem’s Muslim holy sites, and Egypt urged Israel in a joint statement to “stop all attacks and provocative measures” in the city.
Topic: World News
Tags: Israel UAE