Iran, Turkey slam UAE, claim Israel deal a ‘dagger’ in backs of Palestinians, Muslims

Iran and Turkey harshly criticized the United Arab Emirates for its deal this week with Israel, framing it as an act of betrayal against Palestinians and Muslims.

The historic UAE-Israel, brokered by the U.S. and considered a major foreign policy triumph for President Trump, would make the UAE the third Arab country, behind Egypt and Jordan, to establish full diplomatic relations with Israel.

The UAE also would be the first Gulf-region state to have such an arrangement with Israel.

The deal, which Trump announced Thursday, followed years of peace and improving relations between the UAE and Israel. It calls for broader cooperation between the two nations on trade, travel, tourism and other areas.

But in statements following the announcement, officials in both Iran and Turkey derided the accord as a step backward for Middle East.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry called the agreement a “dagger that was unjustly struck by the UAE in the backs of the Palestinian people and all Muslims,” according to The Associated Press.

Turkish officials said the region’s people “will never forget and will never forgive this hypocritical behavior” by the UAE.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry claimed the UAE had no right to negotiate the deal on behalf of the Palestinians.

Trump described the deal as a “HUGE breakthrough” in a Twitter message Thursday morning – and predicted later that the accord could spur other, similar deals between other countries in the Middle East.

“We are already discussing this with other nations,” Trump said. “So, you will probably see others of these.”

The agreement also drew praise from former Vice President Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee who is expected to face Trump in November in a battle for the White House.

Biden praised the move as “a historic step to bridge the deep divides of the Middle East,” calling the UAE’s offer to “publicly recognize the State of Israel is a welcome, brave, and badly-needed act of statesmanship.

“It is a critical recognition that Israel is a vibrant, integral part of the Middle East that is here to stay,” Biden added. “Israel can and will be a valued strategic and economic partner to all who welcome it.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the accord as the “greatest advancement toward peace” in the region in two decades.

Israel, the UAE and other Middle Eastern countries have drawn closer in recent years, in part because of the common view of Iran as a potential regional threat, the AP reported.

Turkey previously had cordial relations with Israel but changed its stance under President Tayyip Erdogan, who has positioned his nation as a supporter of the Palestinians, the AP reported.