Israel’s Cabinet ratifies Abraham Accords

Netanyahu said that over the weekend he had spoken with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, whom he called a “friend.” According to Netanyahu, both he and the crown prince extended invitations to each other for mutual visits. He said he believed they would meet soon. “We discussed the cooperation that we are advancing — in investments, in tourism, in energy, in technology and in other areas,” tweeted Netanyahu. Bin Zayed tweeted after the phone call, “During a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, we discussed strengthening bilateral ties and examined prospects for peace and the need for stability, cooperation and development in the region.”

Netanyahu said that even before he will meet with the Emirati leader, a delegation from the UAE is expected to arrive to Israel, and an additional Israeli delegation will visit Abu Dhabi. “I assure you that we will welcome the delegation from the UAE with the same warmth and the same great excitement as the Israeli delegation was welcomed with in Abu Dhabi,” stressed the Israeli premier. A first Israeli-American official delegation had traveled to Abu Dhabi at the beginning of September, ahead of the White House signature ceremony, to negotiate the details of the deal.

In parallel, an Israeli delegation is expected to travel to Bahrain Oct. 18 for a first official visit since the Sept. 15 normalization declaration. The Israeli delegation will be joined by US officials.

Cementing Israel-UAE economic relations, a first cargo shipment arrived from Abu Dhabi to the Haifa port Oct. 12. The MSC Paris, one of the first cargo ships to make the sea journey between the two countries, carried electronics and household appliances.