Naftali Bennett makes first visit to UAE for Israeli leader

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett landed in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Sunday, making him the first Israeli leader to make an official visit to the country, Reuters reported. 

Before leaving Israel, Bennett told the media that he will meet with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan on Monday to discuss ways to bolster cooperation and strengthen economic and commercial ties. 

Bennett’s UAE meeting also marks the first visit by an Israel leader to another signatory of the “Abraham Accords,” a U.S. backed initiative to normalize relations between Israel and the UAE, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco, according to Reuters.  

“In just one year since normalising our relationship, we’ve already seen the extraordinary potential of the Israel-UAE partnership,” Bennett said.

The visit comes as the Saudi Arabia government agreed last year to allow Israel-UAE flights to cross its territory despite the absence of official ties. A flight-tracking app showed Bennet’s plane flying over Saudi Arabia. 

Israel’s government also approved a private Israeli-Emirati contract to offload Gulf oil in the Red Sea port of Eilat, Reuters noted. 

Israel’s effort to normalize relations with some Muslim countries has frustrated Palestinians, who want to maintain pressure on Jerusalem. 

In a statement, Palestine Liberation Organization’s Wasel Abu Youssef told Reuters that Bennett’s visit to the UAE  “violates the Arab consensus that is supposed to support the Palestinian cause amid the challenges imposed by the (Israeli) occupation.”

Updated at 2:25 p.m.