President Isaac Herzog attended the inauguration ceremony with UAE Ambassador to Israel Mohamed Al Khaja.
By Aryeh Savir, TPS
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) opened its new embassy in the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange on Wednesday, just over 10 months after it signed the Abraham Accords with the Jewish State, and about two weeks after Israel opened an embassy and consulate in the UAE.
Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, who is quarantine, did not attend the event.
President Isaac Herzog, who attended the inauguration ceremony that was hosted by UAE Ambassador to Israel Mohamed Al Khaja, stated that the opening of the embassy “is an important milestone in our joint journey towards a future of peace, prosperity and security in the Middle East.”
“While seeing the UAE flag fluttering proudly in Tel Aviv might have seemed like a distant dream just a year ago, in many ways nothing could be more natural,” he stated.
“As so many Israelis and emirates have discovered, our countries and peoples share very much. We are both countries that value our history and traditions, while pushing the boundaries of innovation and science. We are deeply rooted in our country, looking at the stars. We have both built our modern countries on desert sands, making the impossible possible, and we have both created vibrant and multicultural societies, through an unwavering commitment to freedom of religion and worship and human dignity,” he added.
“The brave decision of the UAE leadership to open the door to a warm friendship between our peoples, friendship is not only important for Israel and the UAE, but for the entire Middle East. The Abraham Accords will promote stability and security in our entire region, and will demonstrate to everyone the enormous promise and potential for peace,” he declared.
“This historic circle of peace must be extended to other countries seeking our proximity. This blessed move must not be stopped. We are a peace seeking nation and those who want peace will be answered in the affirmative and with a firm handshake, he concluded.
The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain signed a historic peace agreement with Israel at the White House on September 15, 2020, the first agreement to be signed between Israel and an Arab country in 25 years.
The UAE was the first major Arab state to recognize Israel since the Israel-Jordan Peace Treaty was signed in October 1994.
Announced on August 13, 2020, the Abraham Accords is the first between a Gulf state and Israel and is expected to lead to similar agreements with other Arab countries, possibly Saudi Arabia.
Israel and Sudan announced the normalization of ties in October 2020. Morocco joined the Abraham Accords in December.