UAE delegation arrives in Israel for first official visit
A delegation from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has arrived in Israel on Tuesday for the country’s first official visit since the countries established diplomatic relations in August.
An Etihad Airways flight took the delegates and some US dignitaries from Abu Dhabi to Ben Gurion Airport, where Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu was scheduled to welcome them.
The five-hour visit will be restricted to the airport near Tel Aviv as a result of health precautions amid the pandemic, according to Israeli officials.
The visit comes after UAE became the first state in the Middle East to establish ties in a quarter of a century, a step championed by the US.
Ari Berkowitz, the US Middle East envoy accompanying the UAE officials, posted a video on Twitter on Tuesday in which one of the Etihad pilots could be heard saying: "This is an historical moment for the UAE country and Israel and we are looking forward to salaam (peace) ... in the region.”
