Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed thanked Herzog for Israel’s support of the UAE’s right to defend itself, following apparent drone attacks on oil tankers in Abu Dhabi recently.
Edited by: TJVNews.com
In a historic first, Israeli President Isaac Herzog and First Lady Michal Herzog traveled to the United Arab Emirates on Sunday for a presidential visit at the invitation of the de facto ruler of the United Arab Emirates and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
The President visited Abu Dhabi and Dubai and conducted official meetings with the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan; UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan; Vice President, Prime Minister, and Minister of Defence of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum; Commissioner-General of Expo 2020 Dubai and UAE Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan; and representatives of the business sector and Jewish community.
Before taking off on Sunday, President Herzog said: “I am embarking on a historic trip to the United Arab Emirates together with my wife, Michal. We will be visiting the United Arab Emirates following the peace agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates.
He added that: “I am bringing with me a blessing of peace and a message of peace to the entire region, to the peoples of the region. Peace brings with it prosperity, progress, and growth for the benefit of the peoples of the region. I will be meeting the leadership of the United Arab Emirates, at the personal invitation of Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, the Crown Prince, and I wish him well and I am grateful for his courage and bold leadership, carving out a peace agreement with Israel and sending a message to the entire region that peace is the only alternative for the peoples of the region. Thank you very much. Shalom. As-Salaamu-Alaikum”
En route to the United Arab Emirates, the President’s plane overflew Saudi Arabia. The pilot told passengers over the tannoy: “We are now right over Saudi Arabia. We are making history! We shall soon fly over the capital city.”
The President entered the cockpit, looked out over the Saudi landscape, and said, “No doubt, this is truly a very moving moment.”
Upon their arrival in the United Arab Emirates, the President and the First Lady were given a festive welcome, after which the President held a diplomatic working meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed headed the Emirati delegation at the signing of the Abraham Accords at the White House in September 2020.
The President expressed his admiration for the UAE’s impressive path and said: “I am embarking on the first visit by a president of the State of Israel in the United Arab Emirates. We were delighted and deeply moved by the warm welcome in Abu Dhabi by the Foreign Minister of the United Arab Emirates.”
President Herzog was then welcomed in an official ceremony at the royal palace, where he met with the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed.
Israel National News reported that during the welcoming ceremony, the UAE honor guard performed Israel’s national anthem, ‘Hatikva’.
“Thank you very much, your Highness,” President Herzog said. “It is a very moving moment for me and my people, the people of Israel, who are so moved and excited to continue and develop the peaceful coexistence and the peace agreement between the two nations, the Emiratis, and the Israelis.”
Herzog added: “We are two successful nations who basically started with very little in our hands, developed our lands into successful paradises in many ways. And set an example to the world of how to live and develop a nation with a vision to the future.”
“This sends a message to the entire region, that there is an alternative for peace and living together, and that the sons and daughters of Abraham can live and dwell together in peaceful coexistence for the benefit of humanity.”
INN reported that Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed thanked Herzog for Israel’s support of the UAE’s right to defend itself, following apparent drone attacks on oil tankers in Abu Dhabi recently.
“I would like to thank you for your stance regarding the recent terrorist attacks on civilian facilities in the UAE. It is a stance that demonstrates our common view of the threats to regional stability and peace, particularly those posed by militias and terrorist forces, as well as our shared understanding of the importance of taking a firm stance against them.”
Bin Zayed added: “The Abraham Accords peace agreement was a major historical shift that embodied the approach to peace that the UAE believes in, and it has paved the way towards strengthening our partnerships, particularly in the areas of technology, innovation, health, energy, and others.”
The President reviewed the royal honor guard, which performed a 21-gun salute in his honor. After their scheduled meeting, the two leaders continued their meeting over lunch with the participation of President Isaac Herzog’s accompanying delegation.
At the beginning of the meeting, the President thanked the Crown Prince for his contribution to the promotion of bilateral relations with the State of Israel and said: “The citizens of the State of Israel are so moved and excited to continue and develop the peaceful coexistence and our peace agreement between our two nations, the Emiratis and Israelis.
“This visit is an expression, as you said correctly, Your Highness, of the vision and dream of peace and the spirit of peace, which we bring to the entire region. We are two successful nations who started with very little in our hands, developed our lands into a successful paradise and in many ways set an example to the world of how to lead and develop a nation with a vision of the future. And this sends a message to the entire region that there is an alternative of peace and living together, and that the sons and daughters of Abraham can reside and dwell together in peaceful coexistence for the benefit of humanity.
“This message of peace is the cornerstone of our relationship. And we are here to deliver a message both to Israelis and Emiratis and the region that the Abraham Accords should be continued and more nations should join us in this endeavor.
“I am very much looking forward to my visit at the Expo and seeing the most unbelievable experience that everyone is talking about, including the 250,000 Israelis who have already set foot in your beautiful country.
“Finally, I wish to emphasize that we completely support your security requirements and we condemn in all forms and language any attack on your sovereignty by terrorist groups. We are here together to find ways and means to bring full security to people who seek peace in our region. Thank you very much.”
The Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, said: “Firstly, I would like to thank you for your stance regarding the recent terrorist attacks on civilian facilities in the UAE. It is a stance that demonstrates our common view of the threats to regional stability and peace, particularly those posed by militias and terrorist forces, as well as our shared understanding of the importance of taking a firm stance against them.
“Your visit, Mr President, comes a short while after the successful visit of H.E. Naftali Bennett to the UAE. This confirms that our relations are moving full steam ahead, and that there is a common and strong will to strengthen them for the benefit of our countries and peoples.
“The Abraham Accords peace agreement was a major historical shift that embodied the approach to peace that the UAE believes in, and it has paved the way towards strengthening our partnerships, particularly in the areas of technology, innovation, health, energy, and others.
“Mr President, our region is one of those that has suffered the most from wars and conflicts. Through peace, we in the UAE, Israel and the wider region, can direct resources and capabilities towards serving our nations and paving the way for a better tomorrow.
“There is no doubt that your country’s participation in Expo 2020 Dubai is one of the results of this peace and it will help deepen our cooperation and partnership and identify mutual opportunities for Israel and the UAE.
“Once again, I would like to extend a warm welcome to you here in the UAE, Mr President, and pray that peace prevails in the Middle East.”
Meanwhile, First Lady Michal Herzog held a parallel meeting with the UAE Minister of State for Advanced Technology, Sarah bint Yousef Al Amiri.
Subsequent to their meeting, Tazpit Press Service reported that on Sunday evening, Iranian-backed Houthi rebels launched a missile at the United Arab Emirates (UAE), as President Herzog was on an official visit to the country.
The UAE’s Ministry of Defense announced Monday that its air defense forces intercepted and destroyed the ballistic missile launched by the Houthi terrorist group from Yemen at the UAE.
The ministry confirmed in a statement that “there were no casualties resulting from the attack and the fragments of the ballistic missile fell outside of populated areas.”
The UAE Air Force succeeded in destroying the missile launcher in Yemen after identifying its location, the statement added.
The ministry affirmed its “full readiness to deal with any threats,” adding that it will “take all necessary measures to protect the UAE from any attacks.”
The UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) said that the air traffic movement is normal and all flights are operating as usual.
TPS reported that Herzog’s delegation stated that he was updated on the details of the incident.
“There has been none and there is no danger to the president and his entourage. The visit is expected to continue as planned,” his spokesperson stated.
Speaking earlier in the day, Herzog stated that he “wished to emphasize that we completely support your security requirements and we condemn in all forms and language any attack on your sovereignty by terrorist groups. We are here together to find ways and means to bring full security to people who seek peace in our region,” as was reported by TPS.
State Department spokesperson Ned Price stated that the US “condemns the latest Houthi missile attack on Abu Dhabi. While Israel’s president is visiting the UAE to build bridges and promote stability across the region, the Houthis continue to launch attacks that threaten civilians.”
This attack by the Houthis was the third in two weeks’ time.
Later in their visit, the President and the First Lady participated in an event with leaders of the Jewish communities of the UAE. Israeli Ambassador in the UAE Amir Hayek also participated.
Among the representatives were Rabbi Levi Duchman, a Chabad-Lubavitch emissary who has been working in Dubai since 2014 in various aspects of Jewish life, such as kosher meat provision and communal education institutions. Also participating were Rabbi Eli Abadi, a senior community rabbi; Daniel Seal, a Jewish community leader; and Jewish Agency representative Sarah Benchimol.
President Herzog told the community representatives about his earlier work as the Chairman of the Jewish Agency Executive to foster and advance the Jewish community in the region and said: “We are broadcasting a message of hope, of peace, of cooperation, of prosperity, together. Clearly, this message should resonate with families and individuals from the Middle East to show them that there is another way.”
The President added: “I want to give huge credit to those who brought about the Abraham Accords. I want to express my immense gratitude for the leadership of Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed and his government. He is a bold leader, an amazing leader with whom I spent a few hours today and from whom I drew immense inspiration. I want of course to commend Bahrain and the King of Bahrain, former U.S. President Donald Trump and his administration, and former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government.
They all made this peace treaty a reality, and we are all taking it from there. With the new Biden administration in the United States, the Government of Israel and Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and your humble servant as the new President of Israel, we are all working together with so many others to make this reality something sustainable for the future, which will hopefully bring more and more nations to join in peace with Israel.”
“I also believe that the dialogue between Judaism and Islam is at a fascinating point, and I very much look forward to further dialogue with Islamic countries. As you know, we have relations with quite a few, and there are plans for other countries, and I hope this will bring about a new era in relations between Jews and Muslims in our region. And it all starts with the vision laid out here, which is a vision of inclusiveness, an amazing vision of inclusiveness.”
President Herzog concluded by saying: “So in conclusion, I hope to see all of you in Israel, with God’s help, and may you continue to go from strength to strength in building the institutions of the community, the education system, and of course synagogues and other institutions that every community has. Good luck to all of you, it is a great honor for me to be here.”
President and Mrs. Herzog also toured the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi today during their visit to the United Arab Emirates.
The President signed the mosque’s guest book at the start of the tour, after which he and the First Lady heard about the establishment and construction of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and expressed their astonishment at its magnificent and distinct architecture.
President Herzog thus concluded his presidential visit to the United Arab Emirates. The President and the First Lady then made their way back to Israel.
(Sources: Tazpit Press Service (TPS) & Israel GPO)
