First visit by an Israeli president to the United Arab Emirates

The Israeli president, Isaac Herzog, arrived this Sunday to United Arab Emirates, in an unprecedented two-day visit that marks a new stage in the rapprochement of Israel with this Gulf country since the normalization of its relations in 2020.

Invited by the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and de facto leader of the country, Mohamed bin Zayed, Herzog and his wife, Michal, arrived in the Emirati capital at 12:00 (08:00 GMT).

Herzog was received by Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed al Nhayan, with whom he immediately had a “working meeting,” according to a statement from the Israeli president’s office.

The president, whose function in Israel is above all ceremonial, said he was “happy with the Emirati reception” for this “first visit of an Israeli president to the Emirates”.

He was then received by Mohamed bin Zayed at the government palace, the official Emirati press agency, Wam, reported.

“Sheikh Mohamed accompanied him to the podium, the national anthems of both countries were played and 21 artillery shots were fired,” the agency added.

According to that source, the Emirati leader expressed his hope that the visit will strengthen bilateral relations. Both reportedly talked about cooperation in various fields, such as the economy, trade, technology and health, Wam said.

Support

“I want to underline that we fully support your security demands and that we condemn […] any violation of its sovereignty by terrorist groups,” Herzog stated, according to his office.

The president was alluding to the recent attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels against Abu Dhabi, which left three dead.

That was the first lethal attack that the rebels have claimed against the Emirates, a country that participates in the military coalition led by Saudi Arabia that, since 2015, supports the Yemeni government against the insurgents.

On September 15, 2020, the Emirates and Bahrain became the first Gulf Arab countries to publicly normalize relations with Israel, under the urging of then-US President Donald Trump.

The president’s visit is the second by a senior Israeli leader after the one made in December by Prime Minister Nafatali Bennett, who met with Mohamed bin Zayed to “deepen cooperation in all fields.”

Both had discussed the Iranian nuclear program, a concern shared by Israel and the Arab monarchies of the Gulf.

In November, the two countries and Bahrain held naval exercises to “enhance (their) collective maritime security capabilities,” as Iran is regularly accused of hostile operations in Gulf waters.

Agreements

On Monday, Herzog will travel to Dubai – another emirate in the federation – where he will meet Sheikh Mohamed bin Rashed al Maktoum, head of government and defense minister. He will also visit the 2020 World Expo site on the occasion of the Israeli national holiday.

This “historic visit […] will enhance bilateral relations between the two countries, with the aim of signing major trade deals soon,” Emirati Ambassador to Israel Mohamed al Khaja tweeted on Saturday.

The agreements to normalize relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates were signed by former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and approved by the current ruling coalition, then in opposition.

The so-called “Abraham Accords”, which gave rise to similar pacts with Morocco and Sudan, were denounced by the Palestinians as a “betrayal”, since the normalization of relations between the Arab countries and Israel was for a long time contingent on the fact that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was resolved.

Since then, the Emirates has signed several agreements with Israel, in areas such as tourism, aviation or financial services.

According to the head of the Israeli consulate in Dubai, Ilan Sztulman Starosta, some 200,000 Israelis visited the United Arab Emirates between September 2020 and September 2021 and some 40 Israeli companies settled there.