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UAE Foreign Minister says he will visit Israel soon

October 13, 2021 at 9:42 pm

Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan on December 14, 2020 [Russian Foreign Ministry/Anadolu Agency]

The foreign minister of the United Arab Emirates, Abdullah Bin Zayed, said on Wednesday that he would visit Israel soon, adding that his country was impressed with the growing bilateral relationship, Reuters reports.

Bin Zayed also said, during a joint news conference with US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken and Israeli Foreign Minister, Yair Lapid, in Washington DC, that there could be no talk of peace in the Middle East if Israel and the Palestinians were not “on talking terms”.

He stressed that a more successful UAE-Israeli relationship would encourage both Israelis and Palestinians to see “that this path works, that this path is worth not only investing in but also taking the risk.”

Blinken: US will move forward with reopening its Palestinian mission in Jerusalem

Last year, Israel and the UAE agreed to normalize relations in a major shift in Middle East politics, from the Palestinian issue to the fight against Iran.

On the conflict in Yemen, the UAE wants a resolution “but what’s dragging us in the situation is the lack of will and commitment on the Houthis’ side”, Bin Zayed said, referring to the Iran-aligned movement that ousted the internationally recognized government from the capital, Sana’a, in 2014 and now holds most of northern Yemen and main urban centers.

“We are all working very hard among friends to ensure Yemenis have a better life. But, at the same time, we have to keep in mind that we don’t end up with a situation where we have another Hezbollah threatening the border of Saudi Arabia,” he said, referring to the powerful Shi’ite group aligned to Iran in Lebanon.