Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to fly in the coming days for an official visit to the United Arab Emirates. It will be his first public visit to the country. Netanyahu, who signed the Abraham Accords in front of representatives of the United Arab Emirates in Washington, did not have the opportunity to visit Abu Dhabi during his previous term.
In the months following the signing of the Abraham Accords, four visits that had been set for Netanyahu in the Emirates at the time were postponed. Twice it stemmed from the Israeli side, mainly due to the circumstances created by COVID policies. Another visit, which was supposed to include Bahrain, was postponed at the request of the Bahrainis, as it fell on a national holiday in their country.
Israel's new Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu @netanyahu will travel to the #UAE later this month, in what will be the first foreign trip of his latest tenure as the head of Israel's government.https://t.co/K5XeAh378C
— UAE-Israel Business Council (@UAEIsraelBiz) January 2, 2023
The final deadline set was canceled due to a temporary Jordanian refusal to allow the plane carrying the Prime Minister to pass through their territory due to Israel's defense against Gaza's rocket fire. Taking the narrative from Hamas, the Jordanians allege the incident was a threat to the 'Status Quo' on the Temple Mount and when the Crown Prince of Jordan wanted to visit the site, the Jordanians insisted on security measures that made it obvious the visit was a political stunt. The visit was ultimately canceled and Jordan closed its airspace to Netanyahu's plane.
By the time all matters were resolved and the Jordanian kingdom allowed Netanyahu to fly over their skies, the Israel elections and Netanyahu’s campaigning barred him from flying to visit the partners he had made peace with. The first official and public visit of an Israeli Prime Minister to the Emirates was carried through by PM Naftali Bennett.
At the end of last week, the President of the Emirates, Mohammed bin Zayed, called Prime Minister Netanyahu and congratulated him on the formation of the government. The president repeated his invitation for an official visit by Netanyahu and his wife to the United Arab Emirates and the two agreed that this visit would be made as soon as possible.
Israel's new Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu @netanyahu will travel to the #UAE later this month, in what will be the first foreign trip of his latest tenure as the head of Israel's government.https://t.co/K5XeAh378C
— UAE-Israel Business Council (@UAEIsraelBiz) January 2, 2023
Despite Netanyahu's desire to use the plane designated for the Prime Minister's flights the “Zion Wing”, which was shunned by the previous government as a waste of Israeli taxes, it appears that it will not yet be ready for the flight that will take place in just a few days.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu also spoke by phone yesterday with another friendly Arab partner, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, who congratulated him on the formation of the new government. The Prime Minister's office stated that "the two leaders expressed their desire to promote bilateral relations between Egypt and Israel on all levels, including in references to developments in the international and regional arenas. The two leaders emphasized the importance of promoting peace, stability, and security for the benefit of both nations and for all the peoples of the Middle East."
