UAE to establish temporary embassy in Tel Aviv until Palestinian homes cleared from Jerusalem grounds

Emirati officials said a planned new embassy in Tel Aviv would only serve as a temporary diplomatic mission, until Israel creates enough space in Jerusalem by demolishing Palestinian homes to build “a great monument to peace in our time.” 

The move is the latest in a series of daring initiatives by the UAE, which in recent months has shattered taboos and obstacles in pursuit of a historic peace deal with Israel, such as overcoming a collective sense of shame and decency and unproductive public revulsion over peace deals with colonialist powers.

“The embassy is a crucial first step in pursuit of the kind of intimate diplo-romantic relationship between the UAE and Israel that can truly transform the region,” said one US state department official. “Long distance relationships inevitably lead to the death of the passions of early courtship.”

“Video conferences and phone calls are a poor substitute for handshakes, kisses, and lengthy warm embraces,” the official added.

An IDF spokesperson said the pace of normalization with Abu Dhabi had initially caught the military by surprise, but it was now in the process of preparing to break ground on the new embassy.

“We are in contact with several Palestinian families in Jerusalem in order to convince them to voluntarily gather their belongings and displace themselves out of respect for our diplomatic brethren,” the spokesperson said.