In meeting with UAE Jewish leaders, Herzog says he draws inspiration from MBZ
President thanks Netanyahu, Trump for forging Abraham Accords; says Biden is working with Israel to expand them
Lazar Berman is The Times of Israel's diplomatic reporter
President Isaac Herzog and his wife Michal met with representatives of the Emirati Jewish community on Sunday night in Abu Dhabi.
Herzog expressed his thanks to the United Arab Emirates’ powerful Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed — known as MBZ — calling the UAE’s de facto ruler “a bold leader, an amazing leader with whom I spent a few hours today and from whom I drew immense inspiration.”
The president also thanked former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, past US president Donald Trump, and Bahrain’s King Hamid bin Isa al Khalifa for bringing about the Abraham Accords.
He added that along with US President Joe Biden’s administration, Israel’s leadership is working to sign normalization agreements with more Islamic countries.
Rabbi Elie Abadie, senior rabbi of the Jewish Council of the Emirates, told The Times of Israel that “it was emotional to see the president of the State of Israel here in an Arab country for the first time in history.”
Herzog told the community leaders that his unscheduled meeting at MBZ’s private palace earlier in the day was “very warm, frank and informal,” according to Abadie. The two leaders spoke about how they could further expand the Abraham Accords, he said.
Abadie said he told Herzog “how well we live in the UAE, how protected we feel, how welcome we feel, and that we have a community that services not just the local Jews, but all those that traveled from Israel and around the world with places of worship, with kosher food, with learning.”
There are around 500 Jews active in the Jewish community in the UAE, according to Abadie’s estimate.
Herzog’s visit “gives us a sense of recognition, a sense of acceptance, a sense of representation, and a sense that we are not orphans,” said Abadie. “It’s a good feeling.”
Earlier in the day, Herzog met with MBZ for over two hours.
Afterward, Bin Zayed invited Herzog for an unscheduled follow-up personal meeting at his private palace.
Herzog and his wife landed in Abu Dhabi on Sunday morning for the first-ever official visit by an Israeli president to the United Arab Emirates.
The president and first lady were given a festive welcome by UAE’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, which included the playing of both countries’ national anthems, and a 21-gun salute. Afterward, they held a working meeting, then had lunch with members of Herzog’s delegation.
During the journey from Israel, the president’s plane flew over Saudi Arabia, a powerful Sunni state with which Israel does not have formal diplomatic relations. According to Herzog’s office, he entered the cockpit to view the Saudi desert, and remarked: “No doubt, this is truly a very moving moment.”
Herzog is also slated to visit Dubai, and will meet with Dubai ruler Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, Tolerance Minister Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak, who is Expo 2020 Dubai’s commissioner-general, and Emirati business leaders.
The president will also open Israel’s national day at Dubai Expo 2020 on Monday.
“I am bringing with me a blessing of peace and a message of peace to the entire region, to the peoples of the region,” said Herzog earlier in the day. “Peace brings with it prosperity, progress, and growth for the benefit of the peoples of the region.”
Israel and the UAE forged ties in the United States-brokered Abraham Accords in 2020, bringing over a decade of covert contacts into the open, and have seen their relationship flourish since then.
Travel warnings
The visit comes after the UAE came under attack from Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, with a drone attack on oil facilities in Abu Dhabi that killed three workers earlier this month.
Last Wednesday, the US State Department updated its travel advisory for the Gulf state, warning Americans against visiting because of the missile and drone threat.
“The possibility of attacks affecting US citizens and interests in the Gulf and Arabian Peninsula remains an ongoing, serious concern,” the travel advisory said. “Rebel groups operating in Yemen have stated an intent to attack neighboring countries, including the UAE, using missiles and drones. Recent missile and drone attacks targeted populated areas and civilian infrastructure.”
Jason Brodsky, policy director at United Against a Nuclear Iran, told The Times of Israel that the Expo, especially during Israel day and Herzog’s visit, could present an enticing target for Houthi rebels.
“They’re trying to increase the cost for the Emirates in that way,” he said. “They are seeking to make the Emirates an inhospitable environment for the international business world. Targeting the Dubai Expo would be consistent with that vision.”
It also would serve Iran’s interest, demonstrating its strength against the UAE, he said, while signaling to the international community the risks of not reaching a nuclear deal in ongoing Vienna talks.
On Thursday, a senior Emirati official vowed that Houthi attacks would not become a “new normal” for the UAE and pledged a robust defense.
Despite the US warning, the UAE official insisted the Gulf country was “ready to defend itself.”
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett “ordered the Israeli security establishment to provide their counterparts in the UAE with any assistance” that could help to protect against future attacks.
“Israel stands with the UAE,” he wrote in a letter to Bin Zayed. “I stand with [Crown Prince] Mohammed bin Zayed. The world should stand against terror.”
In December, Bennett met with MBZ at the latter’s palace in Abu Dhabi, as part of the first official visit by an Israeli premier to the UAE.
Former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was instrumental in the signing of the Abraham Accords, repeatedly tried to schedule a visit to the UAE, but was forced to cancel on a number of occasions and never officially made the trip as premier.
In June, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid officially inaugurated Israel’s embassy in the UAE.
According to Bennett’s office, bin Zayed is expected to visit Israel at the prime minister’s invitation.
