Top UAE diplomat slams Netanyahu’s comments on Arab minority

JERUSALEM – One of the United Arab Emirates’ top diplomats says Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s most recent jab at his country’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 Tuesday 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 demonizing Arab lawmakers and voters to rally his nationalist base. His opponents accuse him of incitement.

At a memorial ceremony in Jerusalem, Netanyahu touted growing behind-the-scenes alliances with the Arab world. He said Israel’s “expedited normalization” among Arab countries is advancing peace.