Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Invites Israeli Prime Minister To Visit UAE

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett received an invitation from the crown prince of Abu Dhabi to visit the United Arab Emirates (UAE), according to his spokesperson on Tuesday.

Bennett met with UAE Ambassador Mohamed Al Khaja and Bahraini Ambassador Khaled Al Jalahma, Ofir Gendelman said on Twitter.

Gendelman said Al Khaja extended an invitation to Bennett "from His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi in the UAE, for an official visit to the UAE".It was not yet clear when the visit will take place.

The Emirati envoy confirmed extending the invitation in a post on his Twitter account.

"I had the honor to convey the greetings of the UAE leadership and to deliver a letter of invitation from His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan to PM Naftali Bennett to visit the UAE," Al-Khaja wrote.

The envoy said both countries continue taking steps towards peace and to strengthen their relations "for the sake of our people and future generations."

The visit will be the first visit to the UAE by an Israeli prime minister.

On July 14, the UAE opened its embassy in Israel.

In September 2020, the UAE and Israel signed a US-sponsored deal to normalize their relations. Since then, the two countries have signed dozens of bilateral agreements in various fields, including investment, banking services, and tourism.

Three other Arab states – Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan – joined the UAE in the controversial move that came to be known as the Abraham Accords.

The normalization deals have since drawn widespread condemnation from Palestinians, who say the accords ignore their rights and do not serve the Palestinian cause.

Writing by Ibrahim Mukhtar -