 An unprecedented visit to Jerusalem by a senior official from Dubai, during which he met with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and other leaders, has caused an outcry in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
| "Eww! Ucky! He can't do that!" |
Mohammed Al-Abbar, who was received last week in Ramallah by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, also met briefly with Sharon and held talks with his deputy Shimon Peres over his offer to buy settler homes in the Gaza Strip. It was the first publicly reported encounter between officials from the two countries which have no diplomatic relations. Billionaire property magnate Abbar has offered to buy up all settler homes in the Gaza Strip, which are set for demolition after Israel pulls out its troops and 8,000 settlers from 21 settlements later this year. He is chairman of Dubai-based property developer EMAAR properties, responsible for many of the emirate's ambitious construction projects, and director of the Dubai government's department of economic development. "When Abbar dared to lead a foreign policy of his own ... this became totally unacceptable," said an editorial Monday in Al-Ittihad newspaper, the official daily of the government of Abu Dhabi, the UAE capital. "He wanted to embarrass the State of the Emirates by private contacts (with) the Israelis, which is irresponsible and unacceptable," it said. |