The crown prince of Abu Dhabi and United Arab Emirates' de facto ruler told President Isaac Herzog on Sunday the two countries share the understanding on the importance of standing up to "militias and terrorist forces" in the latest sign of deepening ties between the two nations.
Herzog landed in the UAE earlier in the first official visit by the country's head of state as tensions rise in the region.
Upon arrival, Herzog held a diplomatic working meeting with Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The meeting lasted over two hours and according to the President's Office, was "warm and cordial".
Herzog said the meeting sends a message to entire region that there is "an alternative of peace and living together, and that the sons and daughters of Abraham can reside and dwell together in peaceful coexistence for the benefit of humanity".
“I also wish to emphasize that we completely support your security requirements and we condemn in all forms and language any attack on your sovereignty by terrorist groups,” Herzog said, referring to the drone attack near Abu Dhabi’s airport two weeks ago that claimed the lives of three people and injured several others. The attack is believed to have been carried out by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed thanked the president on his stance "regarding the recent terrorist attacks on civilian facilities in the UAE".
"It is a stance that demonstrates our common view of the threats to regional stability and peace, particularly those posed by militias and terrorist forces, as well as our shared understanding of the importance of taking a firm stance against them.
“Through peace, we in the UAE, Israel and the wider region, can direct resources and capabilities towards serving our nations and paving the way for a better tomorrow.”
The crown prince also called the Abraham Accords a "major historical shift that embodied the approach to peace that the UAE believes in, and it has paved the way towards strengthening our partnerships, particularly in the areas of technology, innovation, health, energy, and others".
The UAE and Israel normalized relations in the fall of 2020, part of a series of U.S.-brokered diplomatic deals between Israel and Arab states that had long avoided formal relations with Israel over its decades-old conflict with the Palestinians.
Herzog was also expected to meet members of the country's small but growing Jewish expat community and on Monday to visit Expo 2020, the world's fair in Dubai, where Israel has hosted a series of events at its national pavilion.