Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday he planned to pay a three-hour visit next week to the United Arab Emirates and perhaps to Bahrain.
Asked in a news briefing whether he would go ahead with a UAE visit next week despite the health crisis in Israel, Netanyahu said in remarks streamed live on his Twitter page: "We postponed the visit ... twice because of (coronavirus) lockdowns.
"It has great security, national and international importance, but it has been shortened, at my request, from three days to three hours."
Netanyahu plans to meet with the country's ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in Abu Dhabi, which is one of the Emirates and the capital of the UAE.Iran is expected to be at the top of their agenda.US President Joe Biden has indicated his desire for the US to rejoin the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or Iran deal, and to bring Tehran back to compliance.Both Israel and the UAE view Iran as a major threat. Netanyahu’s public stance against the Iran deal in 2015 helped bring the countries closer, eventually leading to the Abraham Accords of peace and normalization.His trip has been in the works for months, but it was repeatedly postponed due to COVID-19 restrictions and political developments in Israel. It is scheduled to take place immediately after the government lifts its ban on international flights.Netanyahu originally planned to visit Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the UAE, as well as Manama, the capital of Bahrain. But the trip was shortened to a visit of several hours in Abu Dhabi due to coronavirus restrictions.