UAE sentences Israeli woman to death, testing new ties

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — The United Arab Emirates has sentenced an Israeli woman to death for cocaine possession, in a major test of new relations between the Middle Eastern countries. Israel’s Foreign Ministry confirmed Tuesday that it is working on the case. Local news reports identified the woman as Fida Kiwan, a 43-year-old Haifa resident who owns a photography studio. The Israeli news site Ynet said she was arrested March 21, 2021, with a half-kilogram (over 1 pound) of cocaine that she claimed did not belong to her. The UAE’s harsh drug laws are a major test for new relations between the Middle Eastern nations as they build relations following the “Abraham Accords.”