An El Al plane flying the flags of Israel, the United Arab Emirates and the United States, and bearing the word “peace” in Arabic, English and Hebrew, arrives at the Abu Dhabi airport from Tel Aviv, Aug. 31, 2020. (Karim Sahib/AFP via Getty Images)

(JTA) — Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett met with Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, the Crown Prince and leader of the United Arab Emirates Monday, marking the first time an Israeli prime minister has visited the country over a year after the countries signed the Abraham Accords and began diplomatic relations.

The trip was announced by Bennett’s office just a few hours before he flew to the Gulf country Sunday. Bennett was greeted upon his arrival by the UAE’s Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed and stayed overnight before meeting with the Crown Prince at his Abu Dhabi palace Monday.

The two leaders were expected to discuss shared interests around Iran and economic cooperation among other issues. The visit comes as both Israel and the Emirates have expressed concerns about Iran’s nuclear program.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

According to WAM, a state news agency in the UAE, Bennet said Israelis and Emiratis were “neighbours and cousins” and “the grandchildren of Prophet Abraham.”

“The relations between the two countries have strengthened in all fields, and I am very satisfied with that, as many cooperation agreements were concluded in the fields of trade, research and development, and cyber security, health, education, aviation and more, and I look forward to the continued development and consolidation of relations,” Bennett told WAM.

—
The post Naftali Bennett becomes first Israeli prime minister to visit the United Arab Emirates appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on. Make a gift today!

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

$90 $180

$360

Other amount