The visit is historic: Naftali Bennett is expected Sunday, December 12 in the United Arab Emirates for the "first visit of an Israeli prime minister" to this Gulf country, which in 2020 normalized its relations with the Hebrew state, indicated the office of the head of government.

"The Prime Minister will fly today" (Sunday) and is due "to meet tomorrow (Monday) with the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyane", on "strengthening ties between the two country ", it is specified in a press release.

The two leaders are also to discuss "economic and regional issues that contribute to wealth, prosperity and enhanced stability" between Israel and the Emirates.

This visit comes as negotiations to save the Iran nuclear deal have resumed in Vienna between Tehran and the major powers (United States, Russia, China, France, Germany, United Kingdom).

These talks have been decried by Israel, which called on Washington to end them as well as to take "concrete measures" against Iran.

The agreement, which offered Tehran the lifting of part of the sanctions stifling its economy in exchange for a drastic reduction in its nuclear program, placed under strict UN control, has been dead since the unilateral withdrawal of the United States of the text in 2018. Washington has reinstated sanctions, pushing Tehran in response to detach itself from most of its commitments.

The Emirates, which share animosity towards Iran with Israel, remains an important economic partner of the Islamic Republic.

At the beginning of December, the Emirati national security adviser, Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed, visited Tehran, which was the first trip by a senior Emirati official since the breakdown of relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia in 2016, after the execution by Riyadh of an influential Shiite religious opponent.

The Emirates subsequently cut diplomatic ties with Tehran.

A series of agreements already signed

On September 15, 2020, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain became the first Gulf Arab countries to publicly normalize their relations with Israel, spurred on by then-US President Donald Trump and his son-in-law Jared Kuchner. architect of this strategy.

These "Abrahamic accords" had also resulted in similar pacts with Morocco and Sudan.

Signed by former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and approved by the current Israeli ruling coalition, then in opposition, they have been denounced by the Palestinians as treason, the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict having long remained a condition to any normalization of the relations of the Arab countries with the Hebrew State.

At the end of June, the head of Israeli diplomacy, Yair Lapid, inaugurated in the Emirates the first Israeli embassy in the Gulf, in Abu Dhabi, as well as a consulate in Dubai, during an unprecedented official visit, Emirati officials having done the same in Tel Aviv.

Since normalization, the Emirates, embarked on decades of diversifying its economy, relying less and less on oil, has signed a series of agreements with Israel ranging from tourism to aviation to financial services.

With AFP

The summary of the week

France 24 invites you to come back to the news that marked the week

I subscribe

Take international news everywhere with you!

Download the France 24 application

google-play-badge_FR