the president of Israel, Isaac Herzog, left today for United Arab Emirates (WATER) for a two-day official visit, the first in history by an Israeli head of state to this Arab country.
“I am embarking on a historic journey together with my wife, Michal. We will be visiting the UAE after the peace agreement” between Israel and this Gulf state that established relations in 2020 within the framework of the Abraham Accords.
Invited by the crown prince and de facto ruler, Mohammad bin Zayed, with whom he will meet, Herzog praised his leadership before the game.
“I wish him the best and am grateful for his courage and bold leadership, by forging a peace agreement with Israel and by sending a message to the entire region that peace is the only alternative for the people of the area,” he said before boarding the plane.
Herzog will also hold meetings with the Emirati Foreign Minister, Abdullah bin Zayed Nahyan.; and the vice president, the prime minister and the head of defense, Mohamed bin Rashid Al Maktoum; as well as with representatives of the Jewish communities.
“The UAE prides itself on having the largest Jewish community of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and This trip is representative of the close ties between our two nations.”, celebrated the chief rabbi of the Jewish Council of the Emirates, Yehuda Sarna.
Tomorrow Monday, Herzog is scheduled to inaugurate “Israeli National Day” at Expo 2020 that Dubai is hosting these days, where the Jewish State shows technological advances and places of historical interest in its pavilion.
Last month, Naftali Benet also made history by being the first Israeli head of government on an official visit to the Gulf country, where he stressed the desire to “deepen and strengthen cooperation, peace between the two countries and economic relations.”
“We look forward to this historic visit, which will enhance bilateral relations between the two countries, as our objective is to sign important economic and commercial agreements between the two nations in the near future,” said the Emirati ambassador to Israel, Mohamed al Khaja.
Although the functions of the Israeli president are ceremonial, the visit comes at a sensitive political moment and one of concern for Israel.
On one side negotiations in Vienna between the Western powers and Iran to return to the 2015 nuclear deal, which the Jewish State distrusts, and in which Israel and the Emirates try to pressure from their enmity with Tehran.
But the moment also coincides with a rapprochement between the UAE and the Persian country with high-level meetings between leaders of both countries; and after the recent attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels against targets in Abu Dhabi, one of them, on January 17, which left three dead.
Benet accused Iran of being directly behind the attack. and immediately showed his support for the United Arab Emirates.
“The Emirates are on their way to play the Qatar game”, The Israeli newspaper, Israel Hayom, published last Wednesday quoting an Israeli official in reference to Qatar’s good relations with the West, Iran and the Muslim Brotherhood at the same time.
Israel has so far formalized diplomatic relations with the UAE, Bahrain and Morocco. -and a principle of declaration with Sudan-, within the framework of the so-called Abraham Agreements sponsored by the previous US administration of Donald Trump and supported by the current government of Joe Biden.