Posted on 06/30/21
| News Source: Associated Press
Israeli’s foreign minister acknowledged Wednesday during his first state visit to the United Arab Emirates that when tensions flare in Jerusalem, it reverberates across the region.
“Nobody is denying the fact that tensions in Jerusalem endanger the entire area,” Yair Lapid told reporters in Dubai.
He spoke to select foreign media on the final stretch of a historic two-day visit to the Gulf Arab state. It was the first official visit by an Israeli minister to the UAE since the two countries agreed to establish full ties nine months ago.
The visit, however, garnered little fanfare across Emirati media and Lapid did not have an audience with the country’s de-facto leader, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Rather, he met with his Emirati counterpart, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who hosted an official reception for the Israeli delegation Tuesday.
Lapid also inaugurated the Israeli diplomatic missions in Abu Dhabi and Dubai during his trip. No senior Emirati Cabinet officials have traveled to Israel, though the UAE has established a diplomatic presence in Tel Aviv.
The visit comes on the heels of last month’s devastating 11-day war in the Gaza Strip in May, which killed more than 250 Palestinians, including 66 children. In Israel, 13 people died as a result of the war with Gaza, including two children.