To all appearances, it really looks as if the United Arab Emirates has picked a side as a result of the US and Israel's war with Iran, a side that could isolate it from much of the rest of the Arab world.
Earlier this week, it was reported that Israel and the UAE were establishing a joint defense fund, which would see the two countries buying weapons together. The report, first published by the media outlet Middle East Eye, cited two unnamed US officials and has not been confirmed by either government.
The fund was apparently agreed to during a secret visit Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made to the UAE, which he made public on the evening of May 13. A few hours later, the UAE denied the visit ever happened.
The day before, at an event in Tel Aviv, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee confirmed that Israel had loaned the UAE aerial defense weaponry in order to help defend against air attacks from Iran.
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