Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Zayed are allegedly set to meet ahead of the signing of a normalisation deal between the two countries.
The bilateral meeting will take place before the signing of a deal that would see the United Arab Emirates recognise Israel, according to Israel Hayom.
Israel Hayom, a newspaper closely aligned with Netanyahu, reports that calls took place to organise the meeting between Israel’s PM and UAE’s leader.
It further added that the Israeli expectation was to have the deal inked and signed in a month.
This comes after Israel’s Mossad spy agency chief Yossi Cohen visited the UAE for security talks, Emirati state media reported a week earlier.
The talks will allegedly involve discussions around the UAE purchasing Israeli weaponry.
READ MORE: Why are Arab states muted over the UAE-Israel deal?
The newspaper also reported that a senior US delegation will conduct shuttle diplomacy by visiting countries in the region to urge them to normalise ties with Israel.
The delegation, which includes US presidential advisor Jared Kushner, is headed by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
READ MORE: Palestinians have been bombed every day since UAE-Israel normalisation
A Reuters report quoting two sources says Pompeo is set to visit Israel on Monday, August 24, followed by a visit to the UAE the following day.
His itinerary includes discussions on the security risks posed by Iran and China to the region.
In a similar vein, US media reports that Pompeo and Kushner, will this week engage with Arab states on normalising ties with Israel, and to follow in the UAE’s footsteps.
The Washington Post reports that three US diplomats who confirmed that Pompeo’s tour will likely include the UAE, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Sudan and Israel.
Another source said Kushner will visit Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Bahrain, Oman and Israel.
READ MORE: Turkey mulls suspending diplomatic relations with UAE over Israel deal
The same source expects that neither tour will achieve immediate results, but emphasised that Pompeo and Kushner expect to finalise at least one normalisation deal.
The Washington Post also quoted a US diplomat as saying that Pompeo intends to meet with Taliban leaders in Qatar, in order to discuss peace talks in Afghanistan.
READ MORE: No diplomatic ties with Israel without Palestinian peace: Saudi Arabia
In response, political opposition figures within the UAE announced the establishment of the first anti-normalisation league on Saturday, following their country’s establishment of official relations with Israel.
The founding statement of the league was signed by six prominent UAE political opponents, including Saeed Nasser al Tunaiji, Saeed Khadim bin Touq al Marri, Ahmed al Shaiba, Hamid Abdullah al Nuaimi, Hamad Muhammad al Shamsi and Ibrahim Mahmoud al Haram.
READ MORE: What the UAE-Israel deal means for Iran’s security
Meanwhile, Major General Ali Fadawi, Deputy Commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, said that his country would not allow the region’s gates to be opened to Israel through some of its countries, and warned the countries without naming them, of the repercussions of cooperation with Israel.
Fadawi added that any steps to open the region’s gates to the Zionist entity would bring defeat and humiliation to countries cooperating with Tel Aviv.
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