Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, today (Tuesday, 20 October 2020), at Ben-Gurion International Airport, hosted a historic trilateral summit meeting with delegations from the United Arab Emirates and the United States.
Prime Minister Netanyahu, US Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin, UAE Minister of State for Financial Affairs Obaid Humaid Al Tayer and US International Development Finance Corp. CEO Adam S. Boehler spoke at the ceremony.
Prime Minister Netanyahu:
"My staff wrote me some lines. They started by saying, 'Today we are literally witnessing history in the making.' And I said absolutely not! Today we are making history! We are making history in a way that will stand for generations.
“This is the first-ever official visit from the United Arab Emirates to Israel. This is the first time since the signing of the historic agreement in the White House that the government of Israel and the UAE will be signing concrete practical agreements of cooperation. We are signing four agreements that will make a tangible difference for our peoples.
“The first is to provide for the protection of investments, to create an economic environment that will benefit all our people, all our entrepreneurs, and there are many, many talented entrepreneurs, and this will benefit peace obviously.
“The second is an agreement of cooperation in science and technology to ensure that both our countries can embrace the hope and opportunities of the future. The ever-changing technology that benefits health, clean environment, safe environment, all these things that are people desperately want and deserve they will get from this cooperation.
“Third, we are facilitating civil aviation. We are connecting Israel and the UAE through multiple direct flights, and Israelis will be able to go to many destinations beyond that, to the east, in Asia.
“And fourth, we are exempting our nationals from visas and this will offer a huge boost for business, tourism and people-to-people contacts.
“The enthusiasm for this peace agreement among our peoples is enormous. It is real. It is raw. It is deep, and it reflects the potential that is being realized today.
“The visit of such a high-level delegation from the UAE, and the agreements that we are about to sign, will show our peoples, the region and the entire world the benefits of having friendly, peaceful, normal exchanges. I believe that more and more governments across the Middle East understand, as we do here today, that we are so much better off by working together as friends.
“Ultimately, Jews and Arabs are the descendants of one common ancestor: Avraham, Abraham, Ibrahim. It is in his name that we have designated this historic peace initiative. In his spirit, we wish to foster a Middle East of coexistence and cooperation, of mutual understanding and mutual respect.
“Minister Al-Tayer, please convey to a great leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed, our deep appreciation and admiration for his groundbreaking leadership. We are working together to change the Middle East for the better.
“Secretary Mnuchin, please convey to President Trump our deep, deep appreciation for the work that he and the able team represented here have done along with Jared Kushner. We would not be here today without America's support.
“I welcome all our guests from the United Arab Emirates and from the United States. We shall remember this day as a glorious day of peace.
“This is your first visit to Israel and because of the corona limitations, we cannot show you our beautiful country but I expect to have many more visits so that we can know each other, know our countries both here and in the Emirates. So I already invite you to an additional trip as soon as this corona disease disappears from our world, and with our collaboration it will disappear faster."
Four agreements between Israel and the UAE were signed at the summit meeting:
1. An agreement on the issue of investment protection – an agreement between the Government of Israel and the Government of the United Arab Emirates on the advancement and protection of investments, signed by Finance Minister Yisrael Katz and UAE Minister of State for Financial Affairs Obaid Humaid Al Tayer.
2. A MOU on science and technology – a MOU between the Government of Israel and the Government of the United Arab Emirates on cooperation in the advancement and development of advanced science and technology, signed by Science and Technology Minister Yizhar Shai and UAE Minister of State for Financial Affairs Obaid Humaid Al Tayer.
3. An agreement on the issue of aviation – an agreement between the Government of Israel and the Government of the United Arab Emirates on air service between and beyond their territories, signed by Transportation and Road Safety Minister Miri Regev and UAE Minister of Economy Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri.
4. An agreement on the issue of visa exemptions – an agreement between the Government of Israel and the Government of the United Arab Emirates on mutual exemption from the requirement for visas, signed by Interior Minister Aryeh Machluf Deri and UAE Assistant Minister for Culture and Public Diplomacy Omar Ghobash.
The four agreements lay the basic infrastructure for commercial cooperation and reciprocal visits between the countries. Additional agreements – the goal of which will be to realize the great existing potential – are expected in the future, not only between the countries but in the region as a whole.
The UAE delegation arrived in Israel pursuant to the signing of the historic peace agreement between Israel and the UAE on the White House lawn last month, and following a visit to Abu Dhabi, which preceded the agreements, by an Israeli delegation led by National Security Council head Meir Ben-Shabbat together with an American delegation led by Senior Presidential Advisor Jared Kushner.