Israel’s Bennett Postpones Visit to Abu Dhabi

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett attends the weekly cabinet meeting at the prime minister’s office in Jerusalem August 1, 2021. (Reuters)
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett attends the weekly cabinet meeting at the prime minister’s office in Jerusalem August 1, 2021. (Reuters)
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Israel’s Bennett Postpones Visit to Abu Dhabi

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett attends the weekly cabinet meeting at the prime minister’s office in Jerusalem August 1, 2021. (Reuters)
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett attends the weekly cabinet meeting at the prime minister’s office in Jerusalem August 1, 2021. (Reuters)

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has decided to postpone a planned trip to the United Arab Emirates this month amid the uncertainty surrounding the Omicron variant.

Sources close to the premier said that his decision comes in line with the preventive measures taken by both countries to limit the risk of the new variant’s outbreak.

However, independent sources said Israel did not add the UAE to its list of countries the citizens are banned to travel to.

Therefore, it is more likely that Bennett is facing severe criticism in the political circle after his wife and children flew abroad for the Passover holiday.

His family has ignored his own guidelines just days after the Israeli leader urged citizens to avoid international travel because of the new coronavirus variant.

Their trip came after Israel tightened travel restrictions in light of the omicron variant.

Israel closed its border to foreign visitors and barred travel to much of Africa, but Israelis are still allowed to fly to other countries and must quarantine when they return.

His family’s decision has sparked an outcry and raised questions about the public’s trust in leaders at a time of a major crisis.

Bennett was attacked by political rivals and everyday Israelis itching to return to normalcy. He was asked about his family’s trip and said they were not violating the new travel rules.

He said they were expected to fly to a country that subsequently was banned to travel for Israelis and then changed their destination.

More had been revealed about where the virus has spread since his decision to limit travel, he noted.

“I understand the criticism,” Bennett wrote on Facebook. “Everyone is leaving while following the restrictions and will of course quarantine as is required.”

Foreign Minister Yair Lapid has also been slammed for spending his vacation in France, especially that the Interior Minister, Ayelet Shaked, and other ministers cancelled their trips following the premier’s decision.



UAE’s Tahnoon bin Zayed, Trump Discuss Strategic Partnership

Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan has met with US President Donald Trump at the White House. WAM
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan has met with US President Donald Trump at the White House. WAM
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UAE’s Tahnoon bin Zayed, Trump Discuss Strategic Partnership

Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan has met with US President Donald Trump at the White House. WAM
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan has met with US President Donald Trump at the White House. WAM

Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Ruler of Abu Dhabi and National Security Adviser, has met with US President Donald Trump during a dinner banquet held in his honor at the White House, in the presence of senior US officials, Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported Wednesday.

Sheikh Tahnoon and Trump discussed opportunities to strengthen the long-term strategic partnership between the UAE and the US and explored ways to enhance it to serve their shared interests.

Shekh Tahnoon affirmed the UAE's commitment to strengthening economic ties with the US by expanding partnerships and accelerating investments in key sectors like AI, technology, infrastructure, and healthcare.

He also praised Trump's leadership and economic policies, noting their significant role in stimulating foreign direct investment and fostering robust economic partnerships.

As part of his official visit to the US, Sheikh Tahnoon met on Tuesday with Scott Bessent, US Secretary of the Treasury, to discuss areas of economic and financial cooperation between the UAE and the US and explore ways to strengthen them to serve the interests of both countries.

During the meeting, Sheikh Tahnoon highlighted the strong strategic relations between the UAE and the US and their robust cooperation in financial and business markets. He underscored the vast opportunities available in both countries, emphasizing their potential to further strengthen the partnership and unlock new avenues, particularly in investment in advanced technology and artificial intelligence, WAM said.

Sheikh Tahnoon also met with US National Security Adviser Michael Waltz to discuss the advancement of bilateral relations and the latest developments on matters of mutual interest.

The discussions focused on efforts to strengthen regional and global security and stability, as well as the commitment of both countries to tackling current challenges and optimizing opportunities for development and prosperity, particularly in advanced technology, AI, energy, and joint investment cooperation.

Sheikh Tahnoon engaged with international business executives to explore strategic partnerships with the UAE, with in-depth discussions centering on AI's potential to drive sustainable growth, global innovation, digital infrastructure development, and enhanced industrial cooperation.

He underscored the unprecedented global transformation driven by advanced technology, which is reshaping economies through innovation and creativity.