In first for Gulf, UAE opens embassy in Israel, hails trade ties
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UAE Ambassador to Israel, Mohamed Al Khaja, and Israeli President Isaac Herzog shake hands during the opening ceremony of the Emirati embassy in Tel Aviv, Israel July 14, 2021. REUTERS/Amir Cohen
TEL AVIV, July 14 (Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates on Wednesday become the first Gulf state to open an embassy in Israel, as its envoy hailed the trade and investment opportunities that closer ties would bring at a flag-raising ceremony also attended by Israel’s president.
Brought together by shared unease about Iran, the UAE and Bahrain normalised relations with Israel last year under the “Abraham Accords” crafted by the administration of then-U.S. President Donald Trump
Sudan and Morocco have since also moved to establish ties with Israel.
The opening of the UAE embassy, which is situated in the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, followed the inauguration of Israel’s embassy in the UAE last month.
“Since the normalisation of ties …we have seen for the first time discussions on trade and investment opportunities,” UAE ambassador Mohamed Al Khaja said, after raising his country’s flag outside the building.
“We signed major agreements across various fields, including economy, air travel, technology and culture.”
Israeli President Isaac Herzog called the opening of the embassy “an important milestone in our journey towards the future, peace prosperity and security” for the Middle East.
“Seeing the Emirati flag flying proudly in Tel Aviv might have seemed like a far-fetched dream about a year ago,” he said. “In many ways nothing could be more natural and normal.”
In the UAE last month to inaugurate Israel’s temporary embassy in Abu Dhabi and consulate in Dubai, Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said bilateral trade since normalisation exceeded $675 million and he expected more deals.
The regional rapprochement has been deplored by the Palestinians, who want their demands for statehood free of Israeli occupation addressed first.
The UAE has said last year’s U.S.-brokered accords, which challenged a decades-old allegiance to Palestinian ambitions as a major driver of Arab policy, would ultimately benefit the Palestinians.
Reporting by Steven Scheer Editing by Jeffrey Heller and John Stonestreet
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
UAE becomes first Gulf state to inaugurate embassy in Israel
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Israel’s President Isaac Herzog, left, cuts a ribbon with UAE Ambassador to Israel Mohamed Al Khaja during opening ceremony for UAE embassy in Tel Aviv, Israel, Wednesday, July 14, 2021.
The United Arab Emirates on Wednesday became the first Gulf state to open an embassy in Israel, as its envoy hailed the trade and investment opportunities that closer ties would bring at a flag-raising ceremony also attended by Israel’s president.
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Brought together by shared unease about Iran, the UAE and Bahrain normalised relations with Israel last year under the “Abraham Accords” crafted by the administration of then-U.S. President Donald Trump.
Sudan and Morocco have since also moved to establish ties with Israel.
The opening of the UAE embassy, which is situated in the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, followed the inauguration of Israel’s embassy in the UAE last month.
“Since the normalisation of ties … we have seen for the first time discussions on trade and investment opportunities,” UAE ambassador Mohamed Al Khaja said, after raising his country’s flag outside the building.
“We signed major agreements across various fields, including economy, air travel, technology and culture.”
Israeli President Isaac Herzog called the opening of the embassy “an important milestone in our journey towards the future, peace prosperity and security” for the Middle East.
“Seeing the Emirati flag flying proudly in Tel Aviv might have seemed like a far-fetched dream about a year ago,” he said. “In many ways nothing could be more natural and normal.”
In the UAE last month to inaugurate Israel’s temporary embassy in Abu Dhabi and consulate in Dubai, Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said bilateral trade since normalisation exceeded $675 million and he expected more deals.
The regional rapprochement has been deplored by the Palestinians, who want their demands for statehood free of Israeli occupation addressed first.
The UAE has said last year’s U.S.-brokered accords, which challenged a decades-old allegiance to Palestinian ambitions as a major driver of Arab policy, would ultimately benefit the Palestinians.
(REUTERS)
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UAE Opens Embassy in Tel Aviv
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The United Arab Emirates opened its embassy in Tel Aviv on Wednesday, with recently sworn-in President Isaac Herzog and the UAE’s ambassador to Israel, Mohamed Al Khaja, attending the inaugural ceremony.
The embassy is situated in the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange building and its opening followed the inauguration of Israel’s embassy in the UAE last month and the signing of the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords last year, which aimed to normalize relations between Israel and each of the UAE and Bahrain.
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Al Khaja, raised his country’s flag outside the Stock Exchange building, with Herzog at his side.
Open gallery view Israeli President Issac Herzog and UAE Ambassador to Israel Mohamed Al Khaja, at the opening ceremony of the new UAE embassy in Tel Aviv, on Wednesday. Credit: AMIR COHEN/ REUTERS
“Seeing the [UAE] flag in Tel Aviv was a distant dream just a year ago and now it looks normal,” Herzog said: “We made the impossible possible.”
Herzog, who was sworn in as Israel’s 11th president just last week, expressed gratitude for being able to take part in such a historic event at the start of his tenure.
He also thanked former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Emirati Crown Prince Mohammad bin Zayed for leading the process, and alluded to the possibility of more regional peace agreements soon.
Open gallery view President Issac Herzog and UAE Ambassador to Israel Mohamed Al Khaja, on Wednesday Credit: Moti Milrod
Greeting the crowd in Arabic and Hebrew, the UAE ambassador described the opening of the embassy as “an important milestone,” marking “a significant point in the vision of the Abraham Accords” and cooperating between the two nations.
“This is only the beginning,” said the UAE ambassador. “Since the normalization of relationships, we have seen trade talks and investment opportunities, as well as collaborations between hospitals and universities.”
Open gallery view Foreign Minister Yair Lapid at the inauguration of the Israeli Embassy in Abu Dhabi, last month. Credit: Shlomi Amsalem / GPO
“The embassy will not only be a home for diplomats but a basis for our continued mission,” Al Khaja continued. “We expect to continue working to make the Abraham Accords a reality.”
Brought together by shared worries about Iran and hopes for commercial boons, the UAE and Bahrain normalized relations with Israel last year under the “Abraham Accords” crafted by the administration of then-U.S. President Donald Trump. Sudan and Morocco have since also moved to establish ties with Israel.