Israel’s Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Emirati Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan are meeting on Monday in the crown prince’s private palace in Abu Dhabi to discuss Iran and bilateral issues.
Bennett was welcomed in Abu Dhabi on Sunday by Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed as the first Israeli prime minister to visit the UAE.
The visit indicates the strengthening ties between Israel and some Arab countries in the region, a process that began with the signing of the Abraham Accords brokered by former U.S. President Donald Trump in 2020.
“This is what the peace and the new reality this region is witnessing, and we are working together to ensure a better future for our children” Bennet said in an interview with Emirates News Agency on Monday.
“I expect that our relations will remain good, especially in the economic field. In my opinion, cooperation in the field of health and food security will constitute a major part of the mutual cooperation,” he added.
Bennett’s trip comes on the heels of a visit by the UAE’s national security adviser, Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan to Tehran, where he met with Iran’s new hard-line president, Ebrahim Raisi, in a bid to ease tensions. It was a major visit for the Gulf Arab federation that has long viewed Iran as its main regional threat.
In a statement released Sunday, Bennett said that he was glad to take off for the historic visit, which is intended to “deepen the cooperation between the countries in all fields. Our relations are excellent and diverse, and we must continue to nurture and strengthen them, and to build the warm peace between the two nations.”
