ISRAELI PM NETANYAHU SET TO VISIT UAE ON THURSDAY

Wed 10 March 2021:

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will visit the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Thursday, according to Israeli media on Wednesday.

Netanyahu will meet with Mohammed bin Zayed, the crown prince of Abu Dhabi, during the visit, Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported.

According to Axios reporter Barak Ravid, UAE officials had initially been hesitant about hosting the trip for fear of being perceived to interfere in the Israeli elections.

“The Emiratis sent signals that they’d rather postpone the visit until after the elections, but Netanyahu and [intelligence chief Yossi] Cohen pressed hard until the Emiratis agreed,” tweeted Ravid.

“It’s unclear whether he gave the Emiratis anything in return for the visit.”

Netanyahu’s visit to the Gulf state was previously postponed due to restrictions imposed in Israel to stem the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

Thursday’s visit comes less than two weeks before Israel will go to general elections, which will decide Netanyahu’s political future amid intense competition between rival parties.

In September 2020, Israel established formal relations with the UAE and Bahrain as part of a US-brokered agreement, a move that was followed by Sudan and Morocco.