In less than 24 hours on the ground, Israel’s first-of-its-kind delegation to the United Arab Emirates received a warm welcome that would have been nearly unthinkable just a few weeks ago.
Dozens of Israeli officials and their accompanying traveling press corps got a dizzying taste of Abu Dhabi’s glamorous hotels, historic landmarks and scorching climate. The Emirati charm offensive was on full display as the hosts literally pulled out the red carpet at the airport as they sought to convey a new spirit of friendship following the historic U.S.-brokered deal to normalize relations between the two countries.
Emirati diplomats in their traditional white garb warmly greeted their Israeli counterparts, some wearing Jewish skullcaps, as they hammered out the initial details of agreements on a range of issues, including diplomacy, trade, science, technology and cooperation in countering the coronavirus pandemic.
“It is a message of coexistence. It is a message of togetherness and tolerance in the region,” said Jamal al-Musharakh, a senior Emirati Foreign Ministry official, in a briefing with the visiting reporters Tuesday. “There are too many conflicts in the region and it’s high time to look forward to sustainable ways forward and hope for the future.”
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