UAE formally ends Israel boycott amid US-brokered deal
The ruler of the United Arab Emirates issued
Saturday a decree formally ending the country’s boycott of Israel amid a
U.S.-brokered deal to normalize relations between the two countries.
The Aug. 13 deal opening up relations between Israel
and the UAE was announced Aug. 13. It required Israel to halt its contentious
plan to annex occupied West Bank land sought by the Palestinians.
The state-run WAM news agency said the move Saturday
formally ending the boycott came on the orders of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al
Nahyan, the ruler of Abu Dhabi and the Emirates’ leader.
WAM said the new decree allows Israelis and Israeli
firms to do business in the UAE, a federation of seven sheikhdoms on the
Arabian Peninsula. It also allows for the purchase and trade of Israeli goods.
“The decree
of the new law comes within the UAE’s efforts to expand diplomatic and
commercial cooperation with Israel,” WAM said. It lays out “a roadmap toward
launching joint cooperation, leading to bilateral relations by stimulating
economic growth and promoting technological innovation.”
Already, some Israeli firms had signed deals with
Emirati counterparts. But the repeal of the law widens the likelihood of other
joint ventures, such as in aviation or in banking and finance.
Dubai International Airport, home to the long-haul
carrier Emirates, has been the world’s busiest for international travel for
years. The Dubai International Financial Center also hosts major firms who
trade in the hours between Asian and European markets.
Emirati firms likely also want to access Israeli
technological know-how. Some already had even before the deal — with the
cybersecurity firm DarkMatter reportedly hiring Israeli military-trained
hackers.
On Monday, the first direct commercial flight by
Israel’s flagship carrier El Al is expected in Abu Dhabi, carrying U.S. and
Israeli officials including President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
The decree formally eliminates a 1972 law on the
UAE’s books since just after the country’s formation. That law mirrored the widely
held stance by Arab nations at that time that recognition of Israel would only
come after the Palestinians had an independent state of their own.
The UAE is becoming the third Arab nation after
Egypt and Jordan to currently have diplomatic relations with Israel. However,
while widespread public distrust of Israel persists in those nations, the UAE
never fought a war against Israel, nor did it have a historic Jewish
population.
In recent years, the UAE has held quiet talks with
Israel and allowed Israelis with second passports into the country for trade
and talks.
