Tel Aviv-Abu Dhabi, a historic flight for peace

A historic flight. The formalisation of diplomatic relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates began on Monday with the arrival in Abu Dhabi of an American-Israeli delegation. Flight LY972 of the Israeli airline El Al, which carried the word "peace" written next to the cockpit in Arabic, English and Hebrew, landed in the Emirati capital in the early afternoon. The delegation, headed by Jared Kushner, chief adviser to the US president, met with senior emirates to design the roadmap for the full normalisation of diplomatic relations between the two nations. 

Two weeks after Trump announced the establishment of relations between the two states, the Gulf nation has shown its commitment to establishing a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.  The Emirate's minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, issued an official statement on Monday addressing the Palestinian community in the Emirates and stressing that the agreement to normalise relations with Tel Aviv is a sovereign decision in the interests of peace.  

During his address, Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan appreciated the positive role played by the Palestinian community in driving development in the Emirates and showed the Gulf country's intention to support the Palestinians and their cause "unswervingly".  "“We take pride in seeing the success stories of our Palestinian brothers continue to unfold themselves in the UAE, adding to the multiple inspirational stories witnessed in the country over the past decades, and which have contributed to the development and growth achieved by our nation", he stressed.  

The holder of the Emirate's foreign affairs portfolio made these statements during a meeting organised by the Palestinian community in the Gulf country. Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan took this opportunity to welcome the initiative to establish the Emirate-Palestinian Friendship Club "which I see as a significant step reflective of the fraternal bonds between our nations and which contribute to reinforcing the communication and relations between the two fraternal peoples," he said.  This new institution has as its main objective to improve relations between the Gulf country and Palestine in all fields.  

As for the so-called Abraham pacts, the minister defended the Emirates' decision, claiming that this decision aims to achieve "a peaceful future in the region". "I assure you anew that these unshakable bonds between the UAE and the Palestinians will remain solid and will never change", said Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan.  

The numbers of the historic flight that took place this Monday for the normalisation of relations are a wink to the respective country call codes: +971 for the United Arab Emirates and +972 for Israel. However, the symbolic arrival of this commercial plane in Abu Dhabi has been condemned by the Palestinian Prime Minister, Mohamed Stayeh, who has admitted that "it is very painful to see an Israeli plane land in the United Arab Emirates".  

The Israeli delegation, led by the National Security Advisor, Meir Ben Shabat, arrived last Monday along with senior US officials to strengthen cooperation in areas such as investment and tourism, among others. The aim of this meeting is to examine ways of developing relations in these areas and to promote joint action and opportunities for cooperation, in accordance with the statements collected by the emirates news agency (WAM).

Despite the criticism received by the Palestinian Prime Minister, the Emirates has explained that its position is to "remain supportive of the Arab stance calling for the establishment of an independent Palestinian State with East Jerusalem as its capital". "We will continue to support the Palestinian cause based on our historic stance that stems from a deeply rooted, unshakeable belief that will never change as a result of any considerations.", the foreign minister stressed.  "I am looking forward to seeing the Palestinian community over the coming period forging ahead with their positive contributions as the UAE will continue to be an honest supporter of you and your families", the minister concluded.  

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan also made it clear that his country believes that the option of peace is strategic and necessary for the region, and that this option will not be at the expense of historical support for the Palestinian cause and the rights of the Palestinian people. For his part, the Israeli national security adviser, Meir Ben Shabat, defined the Abraham pacts as "a courageous step" and announced that his country hopes to consolidate peace through other agreements between the two countries. "We want a path of peace with the Emirates," he said.  

At this meeting, Jared Kushner, advisor to the President of the United States, stressed the importance of this first flight. "Peace is a necessary and urgent matter for the peoples of the region," he said in a speech at the airport of the Gulf country's capital. Kushner also expressed his hope that this trip would be the first of many between the two nations. "I believe that the agreement between the Emirates and Israel is capable of changing the course of the Middle East. It is an honour for me to participate in this trip," he stressed. As for the Palestinian question, the US president's chief adviser made it clear that this decision is intended to "bring a message of hope for a better future for the Palestinians".  

With the announcement of August 13, the United Arab Emirates has become the third Arab country to have relations with Israel, in addition to Egypt and Jordan. Since then progress has been fairly quick. Among the latest measures adopted to formalise diplomatic relations is the repeal by the Emirates this Saturday of a federal law boycotting Israel, which established sanctions for anyone doing business with the country.