New Israeli Foreign Minister in the UAE on 1st State Visit

Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid meets with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (not pictured) in Rome, Italy, June 27, 2021. Andrew Harnik/Pool via REUTERS
Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid meets with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (not pictured) in Rome, Italy, June 27, 2021. Andrew Harnik/Pool via REUTERS
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New Israeli Foreign Minister in the UAE on 1st State Visit

Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid meets with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (not pictured) in Rome, Italy, June 27, 2021. Andrew Harnik/Pool via REUTERS
Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid meets with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (not pictured) in Rome, Italy, June 27, 2021. Andrew Harnik/Pool via REUTERS

Israel’s foreign minister kicked off the highest-level visit by an Israeli official to the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, nine months after the two countries established relations in a deal brokered by the United States.

Foreign Minister Yair Lapid met the UAE’s foreign minister in Abu Dhabi and inaugurated Israel’s first embassy in the Gulf.

In recent months, the two countries have rapidly expanded bilateral trade and signed investment deals, including in gas, technology and other sectors. More than 200,000 Israeli tourists have traveled to the UAE, the Israeli Foreign Ministry has said. Many of those visits have been to Dubai, which is open to tourists.

Lapid’s visit, however, comes just weeks after a new government in Israel was formed in a power-sharing deal that named the ideologically hawkish, right-wing Naftali Bennett as Israel’s prime minister.

His visit also comes less than six weeks after emotions ran high across the Middle East amid Israel’s 11-day war in the Gaza Strip that killed 254 Palestinians, including dozens of children. In Israel, 13 people died as a result of the conflict.

Lapid told diplomats gathered at the official opening of the Israeli Embassy in Abu Dhabi that the moment represented “the right to determine our fate by ourselves.” Israel, he said, isn’t going anywhere.

“The Middle East is our home. We’re here to stay. We call on all the countries of the region to recognize that. And to come talk to us,” he said, according to the speech released by Israel’s Foreign Ministry.

The Gaza war and tensions in Jerusalem, however, have interrupted US-backed diplomatic efforts to encourage more Arab states to sign normalization deals with Israel.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken described Lapid’s visit as “significant for Israel, the UAE, and the broader region.” In a statement, he said the US will work with Israel and the UAE to strengthen the partnership.

The Trump administration brokered the so-called "Abraham Accords" agreement that established ties between the UAE and Israel. It was hailed at the time by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Donald Trump as among their greatest achievements.

Lapid’s visit to the UAE was one that Netanyahu had hoped to make himself before his 12-year-run at the helm ended earlier this month. He had repeatedly tried to score a lightning trip to Abu Dhabi to boost his re-election campaign.

In acknowledgement of Netanyahu, Lapid told diplomats gathered at the Israeli Embassy that the former prime minister is “the architect of the Abraham Accords” and that “this moment is his, no less than it is ours.”

On Wednesday, Lapid will inaugurate Israel’s consulate in Dubai and visit the site of the World Fair’s Expo in Dubai, which will open in October. Lapid is also due to meet with members of the expatriate Jewish community residing in Dubai.

The UAE’s move to formalize ties with Israel marked the first time in over two decades that an Arab state had normalized relations with Israel. It paved the path for a similar announcement by Bahrain, and later by Sudan and Morocco in rapid succession.



Saudi Arabia Hopes Two-State Solution Alliance Meeting Would Reach Practical Steps in Backing Peace

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairs the Cabinet meeting in Riyadh. (SPA)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairs the Cabinet meeting in Riyadh. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia Hopes Two-State Solution Alliance Meeting Would Reach Practical Steps in Backing Peace

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairs the Cabinet meeting in Riyadh. (SPA)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairs the Cabinet meeting in Riyadh. (SPA)

The Saudi government hoped on Tuesday that the first meeting of the first high-level meeting of the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution would reach practical steps supporting UN efforts and peace initiatives and establish a timeline for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state and end the Israeli occupation.

The meeting will be held in Riyadh on Wednesday.

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chaired the Cabinet meeting that was held in Riyadh.

At the beginning of the session, Crown Prince Mohammed briefed the Cabinet on the details of the telephone call he received from Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani and on his meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

The Cabinet reviewed the outcomes of Saudi Arabia's recent participation in international meetings. This is a testimony to Saudi Arabia's commitment to strengthening partnerships and expanding cooperation in all fields to support multilateral efforts for development, prosperity, and addressing global challenges.

It reiterated the Kingdom's stance at the BRICS Plus 2024 Summit, emphasizing its rejection of the escalation in the region. It highlighted the severe threat posed by the ongoing Israeli war on the Gaza Strip to both regional and international security and underscored the urgency of an immediate ceasefire, the need of unhindered humanitarian aid, and a firm commitment to achieving lasting peace.

The Cabinet reiterated the Kingdom's emphasis at the International Conference in Support of Lebanon's People and Sovereignty on the need for collective assistance for Lebanon in facing its current crisis, mitigating its humanitarian consequences, and aiding the Lebanese state institutions in fulfilling their constitutional duties to establish sovereignty over all of Lebanon's territories.

Furthermore, during a conference hosted by the Kingdom, the Cabinet expressed its appreciation for the pledges of countries and donor entities to provide financial and in-kind contributions to support displaced people and refugees in the Sahel and Lake Chad region. The conference hosting is part of Saudi Arabia's keenness to respond to all efforts serving humanitarian causes and assisting affected and devastated communities worldwide.

The Cabinet welcomed the participants in the 8th edition of the Future Investment Initiative (FII8) conference, which kicked off in Riyadh on Tuesday under the patronage of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

The Cabinet looks forward to the conference contributing to boosting efforts to achieve economic stability and just development, combat climate change globally, and address issues related to artificial intelligence, innovation, and health.

The Cabinet highlighted the agreements and memoranda of understanding signed during the Energy Localization Forum involving 117 entities from the public and private sectors. The deals, worth around SAR104 billion, aim to bolster localization efforts in the energy sector and develop human capital.

Additionally, the Cabinet commended the outcomes of the Multilateral Industrial Policy Forum (MIPF) organized by the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources in partnership with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). The Cabinet underlined discussions during the forum on the role of industrial policies in boosting industrial integration between countries, empowering global supply chains, encouraging entrepreneurship, and leveraging modern and emerging technologies.

The Cabinet lauded the recent launches and agreements worth more than SAR55 billion announced at the Global Health Exhibition held in Riyadh, which aim to invest in the latest global technologies, strengthen international partnerships, localize pharmaceutical industries, and support research and development, showcasing the Kingdom's leadership in the health sector.

Additionally, the Cabinet highlighted the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques of the inaugural Global Corporate Social Responsibility Forum. It commended the forum for facilitating the signing of memoranda of understanding and discussions expected to open new horizons for sustainable social development, further boosting the Kingdom's achievements in this area.