Telephone line established between Israel and the United Arab Emirates

(Patria) – With the establishment of diplomatic relations between the United Arab Emirates and Israel as a result of US mediation, a telephone line has also been opened between the two countries.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Emirates, Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, had a telephone conversation with his Israeli counterpart Gabi Ashkenazi, which was welcomed in Israel as an important step for the further development of relations between the two countries.

– Many economic opportunities will now open up, and these steps towards building trust are significant for advancing the interests of both states, said Israeli Minister of Communications Yoaz Handel, congratulating the Emirates on 'removing obstacles'.

In addition to establishing telephone lines, Israeli media websites such as Times of Israel, Jerusalem Post, and Ynet have also become available in the Emirates since Sunday.

The agreement of historical significance for the two countries also represents a victory for Donald Trump in foreign policy ahead of the US presidential elections scheduled for November, as well as a shift in focus for some Middle Eastern countries from supporting the Palestinians to uniting against a common enemy – Iran, Western media write. 

Although one of the fundamental conditions of the agreement between Israel and the Emirates was the cessation of further annexation of Palestinian territories of the West Bank by Israel, the Palestinian side strongly condemned the agreement between the two countries, stating that it only placed additional obstacles on the path to a just solution to the Middle East conflict, undermining the Arab consensus that recognition of Israel can only come in return for agreeing to peace talks. With this move, the Emirates have removed a rare trump card from the hands of the Palestinians, according to Palestinian authorities. 

With this agreement, the United Arab Emirates became the third country, after Egypt and Jordan, to establish full and active diplomatic relations with Israel.

The agreement was fiercely reacted to by the Emirates' regional rivals, Iran and Turkey, while hundreds of Islamists protested in Pakistan, condemning the deal between the two countries.