UAE president answers Netanyahu’s aid request with a zinger: ‘Ask Zelensky…’
UAE’s president Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan mocked Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu when the later asked him to pay unemployment stipends to Palestinian workers who were barred by Israel from entering its territory after the October 7 Hamas attack. Sheikh Al Nahyan sarcastically told the Israeli premier, “Ask Zelensky for money”- referring to the Ukrainian president. Benjamin Netanyahu made the request to Al Nahyan a few weeks ago.
Israel-Hamas War: President of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan looks on during a meeting.(Reuters)
Axios reported that UAE president suggested Volodymyr Zelensky could pay for the workers with the foreign aid that Ukraine was getting amid Russia war.
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“The notion that Arab countries will come in to rebuild and pay the bill for what’s currently happening is wishful thinking,” an official from the UAE told Axios adding that UAE leader was shocked by the request as he thought Israel was asking it to pay for a problem created by its war in Gaza. This comes as it was reported that Israel wanted the UAE, Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries to help rebuild Gaza after the war.
Other Arab countries have also said that will not pay for the reconstruction of Gaza where Israel’s offensive has claimed more than 23,000 lives, destroyed much of the enclave and displaced most of its 2.3 million residents.
Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) said that over one lakh Palestinians from the West Bank had permits to travel to Israel for work but were prevented after Hamas attacks in October last year that killed 1,200 Israeli citizens.
This comes as US top diplomat Antony Blinken urged Israel to “avoid further civilian harm” in the besieged Palestinian territory during a meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu where he reaffirmed US “support for Israel’s right to prevent the terrorist attacks of October 7 from being repeated”.
Antony Blinken also “stressed the importance of avoiding further civilian harm and protecting civilian infrastructure in Gaza”, the US state department said.
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