Jul 14, 2021 - World

UAE inaugurates embassy in Israel

Barak Ravid

Israeli President Isaac Herzog (L) and Emirati ambassador Mohamed Al Khaja at the ceremony. Photo: Jack Guez/AFP via Getty

The UAE inaugurated its embassy in Tel Aviv on Wednesday, 10 months after the signing of the Abraham Accords on the White House lawn.

State of play: Relations have progressed quickly since then, and the raising of the Emirati flag outside the embassy offices in the Tel Aviv stock exchange building on Wednesday was another symbolic step forward.

Driving the news: Two weeks ago, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid was the first Israeli minister to officially visit the UAE. During his visit, he inaugurated the Israeli Embassy in Abu Dhabi.

What they're saying: Emirati ambassador Mohamed Al Khaja and Israeli President Isaac Herzog both spoke at the ceremony, stressing the significance of the Abraham Accords and the importance of deepening relations further.

“We need to expand the Abraham Accords to more countries who want peace with Israel," Herzog said.

What to watch: Both Israeli and Emirati officials say they want to see the Biden administration engage much more deeply in the Abraham Accords process and on trilateral cooperation between Israel, the U.S. and the UAE.

Emirati diplomatic adviser Anwar Gargash raised that issue during talks at the White House this week with Biden's top Middle East adviser, Brett McGurk, per sources briefed on the meeting.

What's next: The new Israeli government will likely appoint an ambassador to the UAE soon.

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UAE inaugurates embassy in Israel

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