Israel delegation delays UAE visit

Israel has postponed its delegation’s official visit to the UAE as a result of the internal power struggles between the National Security Council and Foreign Ministry, Haaretz revealed yesterday.

According to Al-Watan Voice website, the Israeli daily said Foreign Ministry employees have begun checking buildings in Abu Dhabi to find a location for the Israeli embassy in the Gulf state.

It is expected that Netanyahu would brief his cabinet about the details of the Israeli-UAE normalisation pact.

The Israeli Public Broadcaster Kan reported that a number of Israeli ministers, mainly from the Blue and White alliance, are angry with Netanyahu because communications that led to the deal with the UAE did not go through the Foreign Ministry.

On 13 August, US President Donald Trump announced a peace deal between the UAE and Israel brokered by Washington.

READ: Israel president invites UAE crown prince to Tel Aviv

Abu Dhabi said the deal was an effort to stave off Tel Aviv’s planned annexation of the occupied West Bank, however, opponents believe normalisation efforts have been in the offing for many years as Israeli officials have made official visits to the UAE and attended conferences in the country which had no diplomatic of other ties with the occupation state.

Over the weekend, Haaretz reported that an Israeli delegation would be heading to the UAE to meet with top officials this week to begin drawing up agreements.