Bennett hails Middle East’s ‘new reality’ on first official trip to UAE

Naftali Bennett met the crown prince of Abu Dhabi on Monday as continued the first visit to the United Arab Emirates by an Israeli prime minister.

He shook hands with Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE’s de-facto ruler, before talks in the city on Monday.

The visit came after the two countries established diplomatic relations for the first time last year.

Israeli officials have carefully described this week’s trip as a first formal visit because prime ministers are believed to have unofficially visited the United Arab Emirates in previous years.

“This is what the peace and the new reality this region is witnessing, and we are working together to ensure a better future for our children” Bennett said in an interview with Emirates News Agency quoted by Haaretz.

“I expect that our relations will remain good, especially in the economic field. In my opinion, cooperation in the field of health and food security will constitute a major part of the mutual cooperation.”

Sheikh Mohammed said he hoped the visit would lead to stability in the Middle East and “advance the relationship of cooperation towards more positive steps in the interests of the people of the two nations and of the region”.