Israel: President vows support for UAE amid Houthi attack
January 31, 2022
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Monday said that it had intercepted a ballistic missile that was fired by Yemen's Houthi rebels, as Israeli President Isaac Herzog visited the Gulf nation.
An Emirati state-run news agency said the attack did not cause any fatalities or damage, as the missile fell outside populated areas.
Herzog's office said the Israeli president was not in any danger, and that he plans to continue his visit as scheduled.
What did Herzog say during the visit?
Israel supports the security needs of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and seeks stronger regional ties, Herzog said during the trip.
"I wish to emphasize that we completely support your security requirements and we condemn in all forms and language any attack on your sovereignty," Herzog told Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the de facto Emirati leader, according to the Israeli leader's office.
The talks come less than two weeks after the Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for aerial attacks on the UAE capital, Abu Dhabi, that killed three civilians.
Herzog held around two hours of talks with Sheikh Mohammed at al-Watan palace in Abu Dhabi. This is the first time an Israeli president has made a diplomatic trip to the UAE.
Israel, UAE share 'common view' of threats
The UAE is part of the Saudi-led military coalition that intervened in Yemen in 2015 to shore up the government, a year after the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa.
Earlier this month, Israel offered security and intelligence support to the UAE against further drone attacks, according to a letter released on Tuesday.
The UAE leader said the two countries share a "common view of the threats to regional stability and peace, particularly those posed by militias and terrorist forces."
The comments were firmly aimed at Iran, which is accused by its regional neighbors and the United States of destabilizing the Middle East through its involvement in the Syrian and Yemen conflicts.
Israel seeks closer regional ties
During the talks, the Israeli leader also urged more countries in the region to join in recognizing Israel.
The UAE, along with Bahrain, signed US-brokered normalization agreements with Israel, dubbed the Abraham Accords, in 2020.
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett visited the UAE in December.
Many Arab states have long avoided formal relations over Israel's decades-old conflict with the Palestinians. But Israel and many of its neighbors share concerns about Iran and its allied forces in the region.
Thaw in Israel-Saudi tensions
Herzog was also expected to meet members of the small but growing Jewish expatriate community in the UAE and on Monday to visit Expo 2020, the world's fair in Dubai.
En route to the UAE, Herzog's plane flew over Saudi Arabia, which he said was "truly a very moving moment."
Riyadh and Israel do not have diplomatic ties, but Israel has said it would like to establish a relationship with the kingdom which is home to Islam's two holiest sites. Saudi Arabia is one of Iran's most powerful regional rivals.
Reports have emerged of extensive behind-the-scenes diplomatic and intelligence cooperation between Saudi Arabia and Israel.
mm, sdi/dj, wd (AP, dpa, Reuters)