One of the United Arab Emirates' top diplomats said on Tuesday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's most recent comments about Israel's Arab minority is "repugnant," even as Netanyahu boasts of Israel's warming ties with Gulf countries.
Anwar Gargash, the UAE's minister of state for foreign affairs, said on Twitter that Netanyahu's comment that "Israel is not a state for all its citizens" and is the homeland of Jews alone, provided "vindication sought by extremists" and undermined peace efforts.
Netanyahu, facing a tight race for re-election, has employed campaign slogans targeting Arab lawmakers and voters to rally his base. His opponents accuse him of incitement.
At a memorial ceremony in Jerusalem, meanwhile, Netanyahu touted growing behind-the-scenes alliances with the Arab world. Israel's "expedited normalization" among Arab countries is advancing peace, the prime minister said.
