Palestinians to boycott Dubai world expo over UAE-Israel normalization
The expo, set to be largest trade fair in the Arab world, set to include participants from some 200 nations
Palestinians are set to boycott the Dubai Expo 2020 fair, Palestinian Authority (PA) Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh announced Monday.
In a tweet, Shtayyeh said the move comes as a gesture of protest against the accord to normalize ties between Israel and the United Arab Emirates.
The agreement, announced last week by US President Donald Trump, drew a stark condemnation from Palestinian factions.
The PA earlier withdrew its envoy from the UAE, and protests erupted on the Temple Mount after Friday prayers, where Palestinians stomped and tried to burn a poster of the UAE ruler.
The UAE, in its turn, explained the decision to normalize relations with Israel -- something the Arab states long vowed to only do after a settlement is reached with the Palestinians, under the Arab Peace Initiative -- as an effort to prevent Israel from applying its laws to West Bank areas.
The Dubai Expo 2020, which starts in October 2021 because of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, is set to see participants from some 200 countries and is expected to attract about 25 million visitors.
It is set to be the largest trade fair in the Arab world on record, and Israel had already agreed to participate.