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Historic: no more visas between Israel and the United Arab Emirates

2020-10-20T12:07:02.327Z


Both countries agreed to a visa waiver, an unprecedented measure for an Arab country.10/20/2020 8:37 AM Clarín.com World Updated 10/20/2020 8:37 AM Israel and the United Arab Emirates, which have just established relations in a historic agreement that they endorsed with all pomp in the Trump White House, agreed on Tuesday to exempt their citizens from visas , the first measure of its kind that Israel grants to an Arab country. . An Emirati delegation, led by Minister of State fo


10/20/2020 8:37 AM

  • Clarín.com

  • World

Updated 10/20/2020 8:37 AM

Israel and the United Arab Emirates, which have just established relations in a historic agreement that they endorsed with all pomp in the Trump White House, agreed on Tuesday to

exempt

their citizens

from visas

, the first measure of its kind that Israel grants to an Arab country. .

An Emirati delegation, led by Minister of State for Financial Affairs Obaid Al Tayer and Minister of Economy Abdullah bin Tuq Al Mari, arrived in Israel on the first official visit since the agreement to normalize relations between the two countries.

The participants arrived at the Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv aboard an Etihad Airways company plane, accompanied by the US Secretary of the Treasury,

Steven Mnuchin

, involved in the normalization process.

The visit will be short and the Emirati officials will hold their meetings at the airport.

"We exempt our citizens from visas," announced Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after meeting them on the airport runway.

"Today we write the history that will last for generations," Netanyahu said, surrounded by Tayer and Mnuchin.

"We will remember this day as a glorious day for peace," he added.

Emirati and Israeli delegates in Abu Dhabi.

Photo: AFP

Following this intervention, Israeli and Emirati representatives signed

four agreements

on visa exemption, investment protection, aviation and scientific cooperation.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry confirmed that the Emiratis were now the first citizens of an Arab country who can travel to Israel without a visa.

With economies hard hit by the covid-19 pandemic, the two countries hope to quickly reap

the dividends

from their new relationships, which broke the "Arab consensus" that made the resolution of the Israeli conflict a precondition for any normalization of relations with Israel. -Palestinian.

The two countries signed the

normalization agreement

in Washington on September 15

, under the leadership of President Donald Trump.

Bahrain signed the same agreement on the same day.

These two Gulf States are the first Arab countries to normalize their relations with Israel, after Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994.

The Emirati government ratified the pact on Monday, validated last week by the Israeli parliament.

The Palestinians, for their part, denounced these agreements as "treason."

The agreements signed by the Emirates and Israel will contribute to improving regional security and "ensuring economic prosperity for all the nations involved," Mnuchin said on Monday, after speaking in Abu Dhabi about the "promising opportunities for cooperation that await them. two countries, "according to the official Emirati press agency WAM.

In late August, a first direct commercial flight traveled from Tel Aviv to Abu Dhabi, with an official Israeli delegation on board.

And a first Etihad Airways flight landed in Israel on Monday to bring Israeli tourism professionals to the Emirates.

The Emirates and Bahrain, Sunni Arab monarchies of the Gulf, were never in conflict with Israel but share an animosity with the country for Shiite Iran, the staunch enemy of the United States in the region.

Both countries are allies of Saudi Arabia, leader of the Gulf monarchies and regional rival of Iran.

The Trump administration is trying to convince other Arab countries, such as Saudi Arabia and Sudan, to approach Israel.

A recognition of Israel by the Saudi kingdom would constitute a true turning point in the Middle East.

But Saudi officials said they have no intention of following the example of the Emirates and Bahrain.

AFP

ap

Look also

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Source: clarin

All news articles on 2020-10-20

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