Jerusalem Post & Khaleej Times Chiefs Open Conference
UAE-Israel Business Summit 2021
By ALAN ROSENBAUMYaakov Katz, editor-in-chief of the Jerusalem Post, and Vanay Kamat, editor-in-chief of the Khaleej Times, open the UAE-Israel Business SummitYaakov Katz, editor-in-chief of the Jerusalem Post, and Vinay Kamat, editor-in-chief of the Khaleej Times, opened the first UAE-Israel Business Summit with a conversation about the significance of the Abraham Accords and how the peace agreement will affect relations between the Israeli and Emirati peoples. In their one-on-one discussion, Kamat mentioned the ‘domino effect’ of the initial peace agreement and how it has led to additional agreements between Israel and other Arab nations, and asked Katz if he foresees that a similar domino effect will occur on a person-to-person level. “Governments make the peace deals,” replied Katz, “but it is incumbent upon, and up to the people themselves to fill those deals with real substance and to give them a future. That is how I view the relationship between the Jerusalem Post and the Khaleej Times.”When Katz asked Kamat about the sentiments on the streets of Dubai regarding the UAE-Israel peace agreement, he replied that people were preparing for it even before it happened and are reacting to it in different ways – in business, travel, and celebration. “Long before the peace accord happened, in people’s minds and hearts, a peace accord had already occurred.”Katz agreed with Kamat’s assessment, saying that the Abraham Accords show the world that something else and something better is possible. “There is a better future available for our peoples, and our children,” concluded Katz.