Unusual Emirati-Palestinian shouting match sends Blinken meeting off the rails
The primary objective of the gathering was to formulate a joint strategy for Gaza in the aftermath of the conflict
A recent meeting between Secretary of State Antony Blinken and a group of Arab officials, convened to discuss post-war strategies for Gaza, took an unexpected turn when a heated exchange erupted between the UAE foreign minister and a senior adviser to the Palestinian president.
According to sources familiar with the incident, the tense altercation occurred during Blinken's visit to Saudi Arabia for the World Economic Forum at the end of April.
The meeting, held on April 29 in Riyadh on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum, was attended by foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, and the UAE, along with Palestinian minister Hussein al-Sheikh, who is a close deputy to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
The primary objective of the gathering was to formulate a joint strategy for Gaza in the aftermath of the conflict. However, tensions escalated when al-Sheikh expressed concerns about the Palestinian Authority's perceived lack of political and financial support, despite ongoing reforms and the formation of a new government in response to pressure from the United States and Arab countries.
The disagreement escalated into a shouting match between the Emirati foreign minister and al-Sheikh, witnessed by Blinken and other Arab officials present at the meeting. While the altercation was characterized as stemming from personal and political tensions.
The Emirati government's close ties to Israel, demonstrated through the Abraham Accords and limited criticism of Israel during the Gaza conflict, suggest alignment with Israeli interests.
Additionally, personal relationships between Emirati leadership and Palestinian figures, notably Mohammed Dahlan, a Palestinian residing in the UAE and a potential rival to Abbas, further complicated the situation.