Revealed: Israel, UAE to enhance military cooperation in the Red Sea

The normalisation agreement concluded between Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) last week paves the way for enhancing military cooperation between Tel Aviv and Abu Dhabi in the Red Sea, Israeli media reported.

The Israeli Public Broadcasting (Kan) cited an official document issued by the Ministry of Intelligence specifying potential areas for cooperation with the UAE, including expanding security cooperation with Abu Dhabi.

According to the document, the normalisation agreement allows Tel Aviv to strengthen its military alliance with the Gulf states of the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait and Qatar as well as to intensify cooperation on Red Sea security.

Observers say that Israel has been working intensively, especially in the Horn of Africa, to prevent the Red Sea from turning into an “Arab or Islamic lake”.

READ: UAE-Israel agreement not directed at Iran, insists FM 

Meanwhile, Israeli arms companies are striving to increase their defence exports to Gulf states.

The head of Israel’s foreign intelligence service, Yossi Cohen, on Monday visited the UAE where he discussed security and military cooperation between the two countries, Kan reported.

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

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 or other ties with the occupation state.

Netanyahu repeated on Monday that annexation is not off the table, but has simply been delayed.