US, Israeli delegations leave UAE after discussing broader cooperation – The Arab Weekly

ABU DHABI--US and Israeli delegations left Abu Dhabi Tuesday after a historic visit to discuss future ties between the UAE and the Jewish state following their American-brokered deal to fully normalise relations.

The United Arab Emirates and Israel are expected to sign the agreement Israels first with a Gulf nation and only its third with an Arab state at the White House in coming weeks.

Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trumps son-in-law and White House adviser, led the delegation that arrived in the Emirati capital Monday on the first ever direct commercial flight from Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv.

The Israeli press celebrated the historic flight, which was also allowed to cross the airspace of Saudi Arabia.

The flight of peace ran the front-page headline of top-selling Yediot Aharonot daily, which said in a commentary that no matter how we look at it this is a fascinating historic event.

Kushner visited a UAE air base Tuesday where the US operates F-35 stealth fighter jets coveted by Abu Dhabi the thorniest issue in the Emirates newly established ties with Israel.

Israel has denied reports that the deal hinges on the sale of US F-35s to the UAE, with Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu saying he opposes a move that could reduce its strategic edge in the region.

Kushner said Monday that the US could maintain that edge while also advancing our military relationship with the United Arab Emirates and that the issue would be discussed further in coming weeks.

US, Israeli and UAE officials said they discussed cooperation in investment, finance, health, space exploration, civil aviation, foreign policy and tourism and culture.

The result will be broad cooperation between two of the regions most innovative and dynamic economies, the trio said in a statement.

The national security advisers, Israels Meir Ben-Shabbat and the UAEs Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed, joined Kushner for the talks on cooperation between the two highly developed Middle East economies.

The jet of Israeli carrier El Al had the word peace written on the cockpit in Arabic, English and Hebrew.

The UAE is only the third Arab nation to normalise ties with Israel, after Egypt and Jordan.

Its ally Saudi Arabia has said it will not normalise relations until Israel agrees on the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, in keeping with the decades-old Arab Peace Plan.

Under the normalisation agreement with the UAE, Israel agreed to suspend its planned annexations in the occupied West Bank even if Netanyahu has insisted the plans remain on the table.

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US, Israeli delegations leave UAE after discussing broader cooperation - The Arab Weekly

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