The UAE canceled the summit with Israel and Sudan, which was scheduled to take place in April to sign an official peace agreement between Tel Aviv and Khartoum, according to political sources.
The sources explicitly indicated that UAE is angry with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s abuse of the peace agreement to boost his electoral campaign.
On Wednesday, Asharq Al-Awsat reported that Netanyahu crossed the limits in an attempt to use the peace deal for his own interests.
Abu Dhabi suspended Thursday the preparations for the summit until the elections are over and “maybe for a longer time” as frustrations grow with Netanyahu, according to three Israeli and Western sources familiar with the matter.
In a phone call with Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed three weeks ago, Netanyahu suggested holding the signing ceremony of the Israel-Sudan diplomatic relations agreement in Abu Dhabi.
The UAE was open to the suggestion but wanted a top US official to attend the signing ceremony. The US administration welcomed the idea and agreed to send a senior official to attend the event, which was planned to take place following the Israeli elections, according to sources.
The plan was to hold the summit in early April, but Netanyahu insisted on visiting Abu Dhabi before the elections. The UAE informed the White House that in light of Netanyahu's behavior, it would suspend the summit until further notice.
It is believed that the summit will take place at a later time after the political situation in Israel becomes clear, and after Netanyahu finds a way to mend ties with the Emirates again.
Political observers in Tel Aviv reported that Netanyahu tried to obtain an invitation to visit Abu Dhabi, however, many officials in the UAE believed it would be a mistake to receive him before the Israeli elections.
But Netanyahu pressed more and sent Mossad chief Yossi Cohen for a three-day visit to Abu Dhabi in his regard.
The Emiratis knew the PM was only looking for a photo-op but didn't want to create tensions. However, his visit last week was postponed because of a crisis between Israel and Jordan.
Netanyahu continued to push for a new date and mentioned the UAE in almost every campaign rally and interview. He also announced that the Crown Prince “volunteered” to invest $10 billion in Israel.
In response, Abu Dhabi asserted the suggestion was economically motivated, not politically, and was shocked that Netanyahu used the investment to indicate it only happened because he chairs the government.
The Emiratis, who believed they signed a peace agreement with Israel, found that, according to Netanyahu, they signed an agreement with him personally.
Barak Ravid of Walla news reported that the Emiratis explained that the investment fund in Israel was only in a very preliminary stage and it has not been finalized yet.
Abu Dhabi considered that Netanyahu crossed the red lines when he twisted the words of the Emirati side for political ends, and in retaliation, it canceled the summit.
Netanyahu did not respond to reporters asking about the issue, even though he canceled his activities scheduled for Thursday, and informed some Likud ministers that he was planning a trip to Abu Dhabi.
After the Emirati response, his office began replying to reporters, claiming that the visit had not been planned at all, knowing that Netanyahu's newspaper, Israel Hayom, first reported the news.
