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Israel’s Mossad chief visits UAE for ‘security’ talks after normalization pact

Tuesday, 18 August 2020 5:49 PM [ Last Update: Tuesday, 18 August 2020 6:44 PM ]

Director of Israel's Mossad spy agency, Yossi Cohen (Photo by the Israeli English-language Jerusalem Post daily newspaper)

Director of Israel's Mossad spy agency, Yossi Cohen, has traveled to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for security talks, in the first high-profile visit by an Israeli official to Abu Dhabi only days after two sides agreed to normalize relations under a US-brokered deal.

Cohen discussed cooperation “in the fields of security” with the UAE's national security advisor, Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in Abu Dhabi, the official WAM news agency reported on Tuesday.

“The two sides discussed prospects for cooperation in the fields of security as well as exchanged points of view on regional developments and on issues of common interest, including efforts to contain COVID-19,” the report said.

Despite normalization, Israel pressing US not to sell UAE F-35 jets

Israel wants the US not to provide the UAE with F-35 stealth fighter jets despite a recent normalization deal between the two sides.

Israel's Channel 12 television network initially reported last week that a senior Israeli official would lead a delegation to travel to the UAE to meet with the Persian Gulf state’s top leaders.

The Ynet news site named Cohen, who is said to have led normalization bids with Persian Gulf states over the past years.

Israeli and UAE delegations will meet in the coming weeks to sign bilateral agreements covering sectors, including investment, direct flights and the opening of reciprocal embassies, according to the deal.

UAE opens phone services with Israel, unblocks Israeli websites following normalization accord

Israel and the UAE hold their first publicly-acknowledged direct phone call after the recent agreement to normalize relations.

Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv on Saturday signed the first business deal since the accord. Emirati APEX National Investment company and Israel's Tera Group will cooperate on research and development related to COVID-19, including a testing device.

Anger is boiling in the Middle East and elsewhere over the agreement, with Palestinian leaders describing it as a “stab in the back” of the Palestinians by an Arab country.

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