{"id":92838,"date":"2022-02-25T17:00:47","date_gmt":"2022-02-25T15:00:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/?p=92838"},"modified":"2022-02-17T11:38:03","modified_gmt":"2022-02-17T09:38:03","slug":"08-00-69","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/?p=92838","title":{"rendered":"Can Israel help UAE improve air defenses? – Middle East expert"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>Can Israel help UAE improve air defenses? – Middle East expert<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n

DEBBIE MOHNBLATT\/THE MEDIA LINE<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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Israel president\u2019s visit to the Emirates could mean relations are rising to a strategic level.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Iron Dome missile defense system in action. \/ (photo credit: Israel Defense Ministry Spokesperson\u2019s Office)<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Israeli President Isaac Herzog and first lady Michal Herzog arrived in Abu Dhabi Sunday for a historic two-day visit at the invitation of UAE Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.<\/span><\/p>\n

Herzog was greeted upon arrival by United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Herzogs\u2019 route also marked an important first. It was the first time that an Israeli presidential airplane had flown over Saudi Arabia, a nation does that does not have formal relations with the Jewish state. The pilot took a moment to make the remarkable announcement, saying, \u201cWe are now right over Saudi Arabia. We are making history! We shall soon fly over the capital city [Riyadh].\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Prof. Joshua Teitelbaum, from Bar-Ilan University\u2019s Department of Middle Eastern Studies, pointed out to The Media Line that Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett already visited the United Arab Emirates last month to deal with concrete policy issues.<\/span><\/p>\n

Israeli President Isaac Herzog and UAE Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan meet in Abu Dhabi, Jan. 30, 2022. (credit: AMOS BEN-GERSHOM\/GPO)<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Teitelbaum explained that the Israeli presidency is a ceremonial post, and this particular president comes from a long line of important people. \u201cThey are an important family in Israel: His father [Chaim Herzog] was president and head of Israeli [Military] Intelligence, and he represents a very important family.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

And Chaim Herzog\u2019s brother, Yaakov Herzog, was ambassador to Canada and later director-general of the Prime Minister\u2019s Office. Their father and Isaac\u2019s grandfather, Yitzhak Halevi Herzog, was Ashkenazi chief rabbi of the British Mandate of Palestine and later of Israel.<\/span><\/p>\n

This is relevant, Teitelbaum said, because in the Gulf countries familial connections are especially prized.<\/span><\/p>\n

Teitelbaum said the full diplomatic ties agreed upon in August 2020 need to be constantly reinforced.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe relations are freshly established and need a kind of maintenance to keep things going,\u201d he continued. \u201cSince this is Israel\u2019s ceremonial head of state, this is an important gesture.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

However, there may be more behind this week\u2019s visit.<\/span><\/p>\n

The situation in the region is rapidly changing and every country, including Israel, is trying to adapt, the professor noted.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe US is trying to withdraw from the region, Iran is playing a lot of diplomacy in the area, and Israel wants to make its positions known,\u201d Teitelbaum said. \u201cIt [the UAE hosting Herzog\u2019s visit] certainly sends a message to Iran.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Prof. Steven Wright from the Middle Eastern Studies Department at Hamad Bin Khalifa University in Doha, Qatar, said the visit underlines that both states view the other as a strategic partner. Additionally, he said, \u201cIt shows that there is political will on both sides to see the relationship expand in all areas.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Wright added, \u201cHerzog\u2019s visit will be viewed as a clear statement of support for the UAE\u2019s security against both the Houthis and Iran.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Over the past few weeks, the UAE has been subject to missile and drone attacks from the Houthis, an Iran-backed rebel group in Yemen.<\/span><\/p>\n

During his visit, Herzog will also visit Dubai, where he will open Israel Day at Expo 2020. This after the Houthi military spokesperson, Brig. Gen. Yahiya Saree, threatened that the rebels might target the World Expo.<\/span><\/p>\n

Teitelbaum said, \u201cPresident Herzog\u2019s presence at Expo 2020 is certainly a statement of support and a suggestion that he feels safe enough being there despite the Houthi\u2019s threats.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Wright suggested that the president\u2019s visit, so closely following the recent missile attack on Abu Dhabi, likely has concrete implications. \u201cThere is every reason to think the UAE will look at Israel\u2019s Iron Dome defense system and consider how its own defense sector can collaborate with Israel to achieve a similar level of protection from Iran and the Houthis,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n

But Sawsan Hasson, director of the Middle East Economic Relations Department in Israel\u2019s Foreign Ministry, told the Media Line, \u201cThe mere fact of the visit by Israel\u2019s \u2018first citizen,\u2019 the president, is a tangible outcome. There are no agreements to be signed.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

When asked about the possibility of Israel supplying the UAE with an anti-missile defense system, she declined to comment.<\/span><\/p>\n

After the Houthi attacks, Bennett was quick to telephone the UAE crown prince to demonstrate solidarity and offer Israel\u2019s support to the Emirates.<\/span><\/p>\n

All this could signify that ties between the countries are shifting from a diplomatic to a strategic relationship. During his visit, Herzog told Prince Mohamed, \u201cWe completely support your security requirements.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

As the official Emirates News Agency (WAM) stated, \u201cThe visit of the Israeli president to the UAE confirms that the relationship is moving forward.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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Can Israel help UAE improve air defenses? – Middle East expert DEBBIE MOHNBLATT\/THE MEDIA LINE Israel president\u2019s visit to the Emirates could mean relations are rising to a strategic level. The Iron Dome missile defense system in action. \/ (photo credit: Israel Defense Ministry Spokesperson\u2019s Office) Israeli President Isaac Herzog and first lady Michal Herzog […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[3],"tags":[26,24],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92838"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=92838"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92838\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":93081,"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92838\/revisions\/93081"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=92838"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=92838"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=92838"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}