The United Arab Emirates will stick by its decision to establish warmer relations with Israel even as the Jewish state’s war against militant group Hamas leaves Arab governments under mounting pressure to sever ties.

“The UAE has taken a strategic decision, and strategic decisions are long-term,” Anwar Gargash, a UAE presidential diplomatic adviser, told a conference in Dubai on Wednesday. “There is no doubt that any strategic decision will face multiple obstacles, and we’re facing a major obstacle that must be dealt with.”