According to the BBC, senior Emirati official Lana Nusseibeh declared such a move would be the "death knell" for the two-state solution and would "severely undermine the vision and spirit" of the Accords. Nusseibeh emphasized that the UAE's continued support for an independent Palestinian state was a foundational element of the diplomatic agreement. The Palestinian Authority's foreign ministry welcomed the UAE's firm position, while the Israeli government has not yet commented.
Smotrich, an ultranationalist leader, unveiled his plan to achieve "maximum land with minimum Arabs," which would leave Palestinians in isolated enclaves. He argued it was time to put the idea of a Palestinian state "off the table once and for all." This development has sparked international alarm, with critics comparing the proposed map to historical systems of segregation.
The US-brokered Abraham Accords were signed on the key condition that Israel suspend its previous West Bank annexation plans. Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967, where an estimated 700,000 Israeli settlers now live in settlements considered illegal under international law, alongside 3.3 million Palestinians. This latest proposal threatens to unravel years of diplomatic progress and significantly escalate regional tensions.