Gulf Officials Warn Israelis against Radical Statements

Gulf

March 26th, 7:46am

Tel Aviv - Asharq Al-Awsat

Israeli and UAE flags line a road in the Israeli coastal city of Netanya, on August 16, 2020. (AFP)

Gulf officials have expressed their concern to their counterparts in Tel Aviv over the formation of an extremist right-wing Israeli government, which is hostile to Arabs and Islam, in wake of the recent elections in the country. Israel broadcaster KAN said Thursday that officials from Gulf states have warned Israel that a coalition consisting of far-right figures could hamper diplomatic efforts between Jerusalem and the Arab world. Kan’s Arab affairs correspondent Roi Kais confirmed that statements against Muslims and Arabs by parliament members who are a part of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government will harm and sabotage the normalization process between Israel and Arab countries. Those concerns were voiced as the Israeli health ministry warned this week of a diplomatic crisis with the UAE over the Chinese COVID-19 vaccine. The Israeli Army station uncovered Thursday that the Health Ministry in Tel Aviv demanded that the government bar the entry of two Emirati tourists who have taken China's Sinopharm vaccine due to a lack of sufficient information about the shot. The Ministry suggested that Tel Aviv take preemptive steps to solve this issue to avoid a diplomatic crisis with the UAE. It also suggested that visitors coming from the UAE take a PCR test. The radio station speculated that this issue could be form of retaliation against the UAE’s decision to postpone Netanyahu’s landmark visit to the country. The UAE had suspended preparations for the summit, scheduled for April, that was to be attended by an official from the US administration, and leaders from other Arab states that have normalized relations with Israel.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2882601/gulf-officials-warn-israelis-against-radical-statements