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ABU DHABI — President Isaac Herzog left Bahrain Monday morning and arrived in the United Arab Emirates for the second leg of his trip, meeting Israel’s Gulf allies.
Herzog was greeted at Abu Dhabi airport by UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed.
The Israeli president will meet with Abu Dhabi’s ruler, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, later on Monday.
He will also take part in the Abu Dhabi Space Debate, a forum on space exploration policy that will also be attended by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Herzog will then fly back to Israel, ending a two-day trip.As president, Herzog has visited the uae Participated in Expo 2020 Dubai earlier this year.
The president’s visit to Bahrain, the first by an Israeli head of state to the island nation, focuses on the unrealized business potential between the two countries.
President Isaac Herzog (left) meets with Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa (right) at the Al-Qudaibiya Palace in Manama, Bahrain, on December 4, 2022. (Amos Ben-Gershom/GPO)
Iran is a threat in the minds of Israeli and Bahraini officials, and neither Herzog, Bahrain’s King Hamad or Foreign Minister Abdul Ratf al-Zayani mentioned Iran in public statements.
Instead, they emphasized the importance of upgrading the economic relations between the countries, which signed the Abraham Accords in 2020.
Herzog met with Bahrain’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad at the Bahrain Economic Development Council on Sunday evening.
According to sources close to Bahrain’s government, Manama sees economic relations as somewhat one-sided and is eager to attract Israeli investment to the country.
Herzog was also joined by officials from the Israel Export Institute, the Innovation Authority, the Manufacturers Association, the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and the National Center for Entrepreneurship.
Economic Forum officials told The Times of Israel that there will be five direct flights per week between Tel Aviv and Manama by January, and that number will increase to seven in the following months.
early Sunday, herzog met With King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain. The monarch emphasized his support for the “legitimate rights of the Palestinian people” in a public statement alongside the visiting Israeli head of state.
Notably, the monarch did not mention the state of Palestine, nor did the two leaders mention Iran, a country both sides view as an enemy.
King Hamad met Herzog at Al-Qudaibiya Palace in Manama, where a military band played the national anthems of both countries.
At the start of their meeting, the president gave the monarch a silver mezuzah.
According to Herzog’s office, the two leaders discussed ways to expand their bilateral relationship.
During her time in Bahrain, Herzog also met with members of the local Jewish community.
President Isaac Herzog (right) meets with members of Bahrain’s Jewish community in Manama, December 4, 2022. (Amos Ben Gershom/GPO)
Israel normalized relations with the UAE and Bahrain in 2020 as part of the US-brokered Abraham Accords. The deal paved the way for the normalization of relations with Morocco a few months later.
Before leaving Israel, Herzog said the trip was “mainly about sending a message of peace to the region”.
writing times of israel On Sunday, Herzog said he would focus on translating the Abraham Accords into tangible benefits for ordinary citizens, including through a free trade agreement with Bahrain.
The visit comes amid recent anti-Israel sentiment in the Gulf, shattering the illusion of widespread support for normalization in Bahrain and the UAE. Opposition to official government policy is rare in both countries ruled by authoritarian regimes, but supports the Abraham Accords Both are showing a downward trend.
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