Bennett makes his first official trip to the Emirates
Israel's Prime Minister Naftali Bennett is making history by becoming the first Hebrew leader to travel to the United Arab Emirates since the two countries normalised relations last year. Bennett will land in the Gulf nation this afternoon and tomorrow will meet Emirati Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed al Nahyan, who formally invited the Israeli leader to the UAE.
"Prime Minister Naftali Bennett will leave today, Sunday, for the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The prime minister is expected to meet tomorrow with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed," Bennett's office said in a statement. "This is the first official visit by an Israeli prime minister to the UAE," it added. Bennett's predecessor, Benjamin Netanyahu, had planned official trips to the country but had to cancel them. One visit was cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic and another because of a diplomatic dispute with Jordan, as reported by the Israeli media Haaretz.
Prior to this trip, Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid had already visited the UAE in June for the inauguration of the Israeli embassy in the country. That had been the highest-level visit by an Israeli official so far and was described as "a historic moment".
During the meeting, the two leaders "will discuss the deepening of ties between Israel and the UAE, especially economic and regional issues that will contribute to the prosperity, well-being and strengthening of stability between the two countries," according to the official statement. In addition, according to the Israeli newspaper, The Jerusalem Post, Bennett will discuss with his counterpart the recent Emirati rapprochement with Iran, Israel's main enemy. Earlier this week, Emirati national security adviser Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan travelled to Tehran with the aim of improving Emirati-Iranian relations.
He met with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Ali Shamkhani, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council. The Iranian leader welcomed "the development of relations with the UAE", while Bin Zayed expressed his hope that ties would "begin a new chapter".
The UAE and Israel formalised their diplomatic relations in September 2020 through the signing of the Accords of Abraham in Washington, as former US President Donald Trump and his son-in-law, Jared Kusher, were the initiators of this treaty. From that moment on, the two countries began intensive cooperation in many areas, such as the economy, trade, tourism and technology. Direct flights have been launched between the two countries, and in June and July embassies were opened in Tel Aviv and Abu Dhabi, while a consulate was opened in Dubai.
The signing of the 'Deal of the Century' has inspired other countries to follow in the Emirates' footsteps. Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan have reached similar agreements with Israel.
