UAE Foreign Minister to host Israeli counterpart in first official visit

UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan will host his Israeli counterpart Yair Lapid. 

Lapid  is set to inaugurate an Israeli Embassy and Consulate General during the trip. His visit marks the first since the two nations signed diplomatic normalization agreements last year. Relations between Israel and the UAE have warmed, though the UAE has faced backlash since the Gaza War’s conclusion for continuing to cooperate with Israel. 

Expect the UAE to seek further cooperation with Israel as Abu Dhabi benefits from a $23 billion arms deal brokered by the United States in return for maintaining stable relations with Israel. Despite the departure of Benjamin Netanyahu from the helm of the Jewish state, Israel’s foreign policy vis-a-vis the Arab world will likely remain unchanged under new Prime Minister Naftali Bennett. In the short- to medium-term, Israel will continue its attempts to strengthen its partnership with the UAE through comprehensive scientific and economic agreements. In the long-term, Israel and the UAE will focus on undermining their mutual enemy, Iran’s influence in the gulf. Further discussions will involve the agreement being drawn up in Vienna that would limit Iranian production of nuclear weapons, restrictions that Israel considers too relaxed.