Israeli FM lands in UAE in 1st official trip since normalization deal

Abu Dhabi (QNN)- Israeli occupation Foreign Minister Yair Lapid has landed in the United Arab Emirates today, making him the first Israeli minister on an official visit to the country after normalizing ties last year.


Lapid will be the guest of UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday and Wednesday, and he will dedicate the Israeli embassy in the Emirati capital, as well as the consulate in Dubai.

“Taking off for a historic visit to the UAE ” Lapid tweeted on Tuesday.

Lapid was greeted by Emirati Minister of State Ahmed Al Sayegh, as Lapid tweeted later his thanks in both Hebrew and Arabic for the ‘warm welcome’

This trip is also the first official engagement between the occupation state and the UAE since the latest Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, which started on May 10 and ended with a ceasefire brokered by mediator Egypt on May 21, killing at least 279 Palestinians, including 69 children and 40 women and injuring 1,910 others.

19 families in the Gaza Strip have been wiped off the population civil registry during Israel’s 11-day aggression, the Palestinian Health Ministry said, including 41 children and 25 women.

The UAE was the first country to agree to normalize ties with the occupation state under the Abraham Accords, a pact brokered by the United States, a move that was followed by Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan.

Palestinians condemned the normalization agreements, saying they encouraged Israel’s denial of their rights and do not serve the Palestinian cause.

Abu Dhabi said the deal was an effort to stave off Israel’s planned annexation of the occupied West Bank, however, opponents believe normalization efforts have been in the offing for many years as Israeli officials have made official visits to the UAE and attended conferences in the country which had no diplomatic or other ties with the occupation state.

Related Articles

Back to top button