The US government’s decision to declare Jerusalem the capital of Israel could serve the interests of armed extremist groups in the Middle East, according to Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.
Speaking at a meeting with a delegation from the Washington Institute for Near East Policy (WINEP) in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, Sheikh Mohamed said that “the US move could throw a life buoy to terrorist armed groups, which have begun to lose ground in the region.”
Sheikh Mohamed added that he hopes the administration of Donald Trump will reconsider the move and serve as a neutral party as it helps draft “true principles for peace” that lead to stability and development in the Middle East.
Additionally, the WINEP delegation and Sheikh Mohamed discussed the ongoing conflict in Yemen, with Sheikh Mohamed saying that the UAE, Saudi Arabia and other members of the Arab coalition are committed to a political solution.
“It [the solution] will not be at the expense of enabling a military militia that operates outside the state authority and posing a direct threat to the security and stability of the sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the region at large,” he said, referring to the launch of ballistic missiles towards Saudi cities.
The meeting also touched upon the security situations in Syria, Lebanon and Libya, with Sheikh Mohamed saying that “the UAE will pursue its cooperative approach with the international community in order to counter extremism, violence and terrorism, dry up sources of funding and eliminate extremist and terrorist platforms and ideologies.”
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