Israeli press dedicated its headline this morning, June 12, to an op-ed by United Arab Emirates’ Ambassador to Washington Yousef Al-Otaiba, published by the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper. It is a rare article by a Gulf state minister to be published in Israeli mainstream media. Many Israeli pundits have since its publication retweeted the article.

In his op-ed, Otaiba warns Israel against its annexation plan, saying that such a move would destroy hopes for further rapprochement between Israel and with the Arab world. "Annexation will certainly and immediately upend Israeli aspirations for improved security, economic and cultural ties with the Arab world and with the UAE. … Annexation will also harden Arab views of Israel just when Emirati initiatives have been opening the space for cultural exchange and broader understanding of Israel and Judaism," stated the ambassador.

He then detailed openly his country’s efforts at reaching out to Israel, Israelis and Jews in general, including the invitation of Israel to participate in Dubai’s World Expo planned for next year and the ongoing presence of Israeli diplomats in Abu Dhabi at the headquarters of the United Nations International Renewable Energy Agency.

Amplifying the ambassador’s direct appeal to Israelis, UAE Foreign Ministry’s Director of Strategic Communications Hend Al-Otaiba tweeted this morning in Hebrew, stating, "We face too many shared dangers and see the huge potential for better relations. In the UAE and in much of the Arab world, we would like to believe that Israel is an opportunity, not an enemy."