Israel’s President Reuven Rivlin has dispatched a missive to United Arab Emirates (UAE) Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan inviting him to visit Israel following the unveiling of the Abraham Accords, the normalizations of ties between the two countries.
Last Thursday, the US, Israel and the UAE announced the agreement to fully normalize relations between Abu Dhabi and Jerusalem.
In the letter sent Monday and written in Arabic, Rivlin says that “in these fateful days, leadership is tested by its courage and ability to be groundbreaking and far-sighted.”
“The agreement formed between our countries, mediated by US President Donald Trump, and the US administration, which will be signed soon, Inshallah (God willing in Arabic), under your leadership and in full and mutual coordination with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is a strategic milestone for new processes in our region,” he said.
He expressed hope that “this step will help build and strengthen the trust between us and the peoples of the region, a trust that will promote understanding between us all. Such trust, as demonstrated in the noble and courageous act, will march our region forward and bring economic well-being and provide prosperity and stability to the people of the entire Middle East.”
This agreement is the first between a Gulf state and Israel and is expected to lead to similar agreements with other Arab countries, possibly Bahrain, Oman or Saudi Arabia.
Rivlin added that he has “no doubt that future generations will appreciate the way you, the brave and wise leaderships, have restarted the discourse on peace, trust, dialogue between peoples and religions, cooperation and a promising future.”
“I hope this move will serve as a beacon and pave the way for more countries as well,” he added.
“In my name and in the name of the people of Israel, I take this opportunity to address to your honor an invitation to visit Israel and Jerusalem and be our honored guest,” he concluded.
An official signing ceremony at the White House is expected in the coming weeks.
While the agreement has not been officially finalized, several Israel companies have already signed agreements with UAE companies on collaboration, partnership and export.