Israeli Prime Minister meets with Abu Dhabi crown prince in historic visit

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett met with United Arab Emirates Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed as he made a historic first official visit by any Israeli leader to the UAE.

“I’m flying back to Israel, very optimistic that this relationship can set an example of how we can make peace here in the Middle East,” Bennett said in a video released shortly before his departure from from Abu Dhabi, per The New York Times.

He added that Sheikh Mohammed had accepted an invitation to visit Israel as well, Reuters reported. 

In a video shared on his Twitter account, Bennett was seen in Abu Dhabi meeting other government figures and members of the UAE royal family.

Making history in Abu Dhabi.
pic.twitter.com/Z7gZrnmP1n

— Naftali Bennett בנט (@naftalibennett) December 12, 2021

UAE state news agency WAM said that Sheikh Mohammed was hopeful for “stability in the Middle East” and that Bennett’s visit would “advance the relationship of cooperation towards more positive steps in the interests of the people of the two nations and of the region.”

Israel and the UAE normalized relations after signing the “Abraham Accords” in August last year, a U.S.-backed initiative among Israel and the UAE, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco.  

The Israeli and UAE leaders spent about two and a half hours in a face-to-face meeting on Sunday, the statement said, adding that, “most of the visit dealt with building the connection and personal acquaintance between the leaders, who spoke openly and emphasized their desire to strengthen peace between the two countries and build economic relations.”

While Iran was not mentioned in any statements, both the UAE and Israel are worried about the country’s nuclear program in the region.

Israeli Ambassador to the UAE Amir Hayek declined to discuss Iran, reportedly telling Israel’s Army Radio, “The prime minister did not only come here solely to address the Iranian issue.”

Iran’s Foreign Ministry said the visit was “disruptive to the region’s security and [going] against the interests of the Islamic nation and the people of the region and Arab countries,” according to Reuters.