For the first time in history, an official delegation from the United Arab Emirates has landed in Israel, led by senior ministers.
The bells of history continue to ring:
for the first time since the establishment of the state, an official delegation of the United Arab Emirates will open in Israel today (Tuesday).
The delegation will be led by the Emirates' Minister of Finance, Obeid Hamed al-Tire, and the Minister and Princess of the Principality, Abdullah Bin-Tok al-Marie.
They will be accompanied by dozens of senior government officials and journalists.
Photo: GPO
This precedent-setting visit will also be sponsored by the Trump administration.
US Treasury Secretary Steve Menuhin and Trump's special envoy, Avi Berkowitz, will head the US delegation.
Due to the Corona epidemic, the visit will last only about five hours and will take place entirely at the Ben-Gurion Airport complex.
The delegation from Abu Dhabi will land at 12:00 noon, and will be greeted by Prime Minister Netanyahu, Foreign Minister Ashkenazi and other ministers.
An official ceremony will be held at the venue, where guests will address the Israeli public directly.
After the ceremony, there will be a tripartite meeting between senior government officials from Israel, the Emirates and the United States.
Photo: GPO
Later, a bilateral meeting will be held between the emirate ministers and their Israeli counterparts.
After the meetings there will be a joint lunch.
At the end, Foreign Minister Ashkenazi will lead the guests to a special exhibition in the fields of space and technology prepared at Ben Gurion Airport, especially for the guests. The countries are expected to sign a mutual agreement to exempt entry visas - meaning there will be free transit between countries.
"We are making history," a senior Jerusalem official told Israel Today, "as soon as the guests leave the door of the plane, it's history. Maybe the word 'historic' is already being eroded, but we're talking about a status like never before. Who would have believed just three months ago "That foreign ministers of Arab countries stand at Ben-Gurion Airport and speak directly to the Israeli public?"
Finance Minister Israel Katz told Israel Today ahead of the visit: "This is a political-economic peace that the fathers of Zionism and the founders of the state dreamed of.
Now, with the signing of these agreements, we are taking another significant step towards advancing the Israeli economy and regional economic peace. "
