Religious Zionism Party leader Bezalel Smotrich met on Wednesday with the United Arab Emirates Ambassador to Israel Mohamed Al Khaja.
Smotrich tweeted that the two held an “introductory meeting” at the Knesset in Jerusalem.
“We discussed the good relations between the countries and the great potential of deepening the economic cooperation between us for the benefit of the entire region. This is what true peace looks like,” wrote Smotrich.
נפגשתי היום בלשכתי בכנסת עם שגריר איחוד האמירויות בישראל, מוחמד אל-חאג’ה, לפגישת היכרות. שוחחנו על היחסים הטובים בין המדינות ועל הפוטנציאל הגדול של העמקת שיתוף הפעולה הכלכלי בינינו לטובת האזור כולו. ככה נראה שלום אמת.@AmbAlKhaja pic.twitter.com/SVWkiiR1vf
— בצלאל סמוטריץ’ (@bezalelsm) December 7, 2022
Today I met Members of Knesset @Bezalelsm @YuliaMalinovsky and @YakovMargi. Thank you for your warm reception and candid conversations. It was good to meet you and I look forward to working closely with all honorable MKs to further strengthen our bilateral relations. #UAEinIsrael pic.twitter.com/nnagQdrcjW
— Mohamed Al Khaja (@AmbAlKhaja) December 7, 2022
Al Khaja was pictured earlier this month greeting Otzma Yehudit head Itamar Ben-Gvir at an event at the UAE’s embassy marking the country’s 51st National Day.
מזל טוב לאיחוד האמירויות לרגל חגיגות יום הלאום. שמחתי להשתתף הערב בקבלת פנים בהשתתפות שגריר האמירויות בישראל, כך נראה שלום אמיתי ???? pic.twitter.com/nwZF72jOXq
— איתמר בן גביר (@itamarbengvir) December 1, 2022
Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Monday visited the UAE after a two-day trip to Bahrain.
Herzog met with the ruler of Abu Dhabi and president of the UAE, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in their fourth meeting since the Israeli president took office in July 2021.
“The Abraham Accords are a national consensus in Israel on all sides of the political spectrum,” said Herzog, referring to the U.S.-brokered September 2020 agreements that normalized relations between the Jewish state and several Arab countries.
He added: “Now we have to…upgrade ties between us even more, to strengthen them and to bring more nations into the Abraham Accords.”