Future of UAE-Israel ties discussed at virtual event

Dubai - Virtual session marks first anniversary of the signing of the Abraham Accords

The Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy (AGDA) and the American Jewish Committee (AJC) hosted a virtual session to mark the first anniversary of the signing of the Abraham Accords, as part of educational cooperation that aims to explore the multidimensional components of emerging Emirati-Israeli relations.

The cooperation between AGDA and AJC includes five webinars, where the two organisations will engage the next generation of American, Israeli, and Emirati leaders in discussions about the future of Israeli-Arab engagement in the Middle East.

Monday’s inaugural programme, ‘The Abraham Accords and the Future of Emirati-Israeli-American Relations,’ highlighted the need to work on measures to promote robust UAE-Israel-US engagement in the Middle East while maximising the Accords’ benefits for the entire region.

Bernardino León, Director General of AGDA, moderated the discussion among Khalifa Shaheen Almarar, UAE Minister of State; Alon Ushpiz, Director-General of Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and Jason Isaacson, AJC Chief Policy and Political Affairs Officer. The session was also attended by Shaima Gargash, Deputy Chief of the UAE Embassy in Washington DC, who said: “The UAE joined the Abraham Accords as part of its renewed focus on de-escalation, dialogue, and diplomacy to advance peace, prosperity, and coexistence in the world’s most turbulent neighbourhood.”

Nickolay Mladenov, Research and Analysis Director at AGDA and former UN Coordinator of the Middle East Peace Process, also addressed the session. “As both countries, the UAE and Israel, together with the United States of America, are making the first baby steps of what is going to be a wonderful relation ship that will have historic significance for the whole region and the world,” he said.

Bernardino León, Director General of AGDA, said: “This session is hosted as part of ADGA’s efforts to equip our current and future diplomats with insight on regional and international issues that impact the UAE’s policy agenda.”

Khalifa Shaheen Almarar, UAE Minister of State, said: “The peace Accords are the product of the bravery of Emirati, Bahraini, US, and Israeli leaders who chose to bring a brighter future and prosperity to the citizens of the region.

“At the first anniversary of the Accords, we have achieved more than $675 million in bilateral trade, hundreds of thousands of tourists, and more than 58 agreements and MoUs,” he added.

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