Exactly six months after Bennett succeeded Prime Minister Netanyahu – Israel’s longest-serving prime minister – he is making history again. For decades it was unthinkable that an Arab leader would publicly shake the hands of an Israeli leader, but on Monday Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan did it with a big smile. He received Bennett at his private palace in the capital Abu Dhabi, after landing in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) that Sunday evening.
The historic meeting between the two leaders lasted four hours, two hours longer than planned. According to the Israeli prime minister, several cooperation agreements have been signed “in the fields of trade, research, cybersecurity, health, education, aviation and more”. Both leaders looked back on a fruitful meeting, the state news agency of the Emirates reported. “I look forward to further developing and consolidating our relationship,” Bennett said. Al Nahyan expressed his hope for “stability in the Middle East.”
Israel-Palestina-conflict
The rapprochement between Israel and the UAE is still young because the Israel-Palestine conflict stood like a wall between the two countries. For decades, apart from Egypt and Jordan, not a single Arab country had a formal relationship with Israel because of its occupation of the Palestinian territories. In August 2020, the Emirates and Israel suddenly announced that they would normalize their relationship. Shortly afterwards, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco followed suit, something the Palestinian leaders considered a great betrayal.
Former US President Donald Trump and former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu managed to bring about this turnaround. The fact that an actual meeting is now coming between Netanyahu’s successor and the crown prince shows that the new relations between Israel and several Islamic countries in the region are here to stay. According to analysts, it also shows that the possible nuclear threat from Iran, Israel’s nemesis, is now a higher priority for Arab leaders than the Israel-Palestine conflict.
The meeting is therefore a great political success for Bennett. The Israeli Prime Minister spoke with pride about his visit and “a new reality for the region, where we work together for a better future for our children.” Former Prime Minister Netanyahu would have loved to be in the historic photo of him shaking hands with the Emirati leader. Last winter, Netanyahu had to cancel the planned visit three times in a row because the corona virus and diplomatic obstacles threw a spanner in the works.
Over the past twenty years, the UAE has become an increasingly important player in the region due to the use of oil money. The current government is busy strengthening its economy and establishing international trade relations. In June, Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid paid a two-day visit to the Gulf Alliance. He met his Emirati colleague and opened a brand new Israeli embassy in Abu Dhabi and a consulate in Dubai, the largest city in the UAE.
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