JERUSALEM: Israel’s president said his country supports the United Arab Emirates security needs and seeks stronger regional ties during the first such visit to the Gulf state on Sunday, as world powers try to revive an Iran nuclear deal.
The UAE, along with Bahrain, signed US-brokered normalization agreements with Israel, dubbed the “Abraham Accords,” in 2020. The two Gulf states and Israel share concerns about Iran and its allied forces in the region.
Isaac Herzog discussed security and bilateral relations with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
The UAE has in the past fortnight been attacked twice with drones and missiles by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi militia.
“We completely support your security requirements and we condemn in all forms and language any attack on your sovereignty by terrorist groups. We are here together to find ways and means to bring full security to people who seek peace in our region,” Herzog said during the meeting, in comments released by his office.
Sheikh Mohammed said Israel and the UAE share a “common view of the threats to regional stability and peace, particularly those posed by militias and terrorist forces.”
“Today in Abu Dhabi I met with President of Israel Isaac Herzog. We discussed our bilateral relations, regional issues of mutual interest, and the importance of exploring further opportunities to build bridges of cooperation and friendship between our two nations,” Sheikh Mohammed tweeted.
The presidency in Israel is a largely ceremonial post. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett visited the UAE in December.
President Herzog met the UAE’s foreign minister other officials, Emirates News Agency said. He will also meet Jewish communities in the UAE, which is the region’s commercial and tourism hub.
