Netanyahu Sends Senior Aide to the UAE in Bid to Mend Relations

SadaNews: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has sent his top foreign policy advisor to the United Arab Emirates in an effort to calm relations that have been negatively affected by the Israeli military campaign in Gaza and the expansion of settlements in the West Bank, according to informed sources cited by Bloomberg.

According to these sources, Ron Dermer, the Minister of Strategic Affairs in the Israeli government, traveled to the Emirati capital Abu Dhabi last week, where he held a series of meetings with Emirati officials, including President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed. These meetings took place away from the media and were not officially announced by either side.

This visit comes amidst rising security warnings from Israel and Western countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom, regarding potential threats targeting sites linked to Israel and Jews within the UAE, giving the meetings a security and political dimension.

The UAE Foreign Ministry, Netanyahu's office, and Dermer's spokesperson refrained from commenting on the visit or the content of the discussions, while media reports indicated that the meetings focused on updating the Emirati leadership on the details of the planned Israeli military operation to take control of Gaza City, marking an escalation in the war against Hamas.