UAE Israel: what's happening and what it means

Israel’s military support for the UAE during the Iran war has revealed growing divisions in the Gulf, as the Emiratis forge new and unexpected partnerships. UAE Israel has emerged this Friday as one of the stories drawing attention in UAE.

Key facts

• Israel’s military support for the UAE during the Iran war has revealed growing divisions in the Gulf, as the Emiratis forge new and unexpected partnerships.
• The UAE, which in 2020 became the first Arab nation in 26 years to normalize ties with Israel under the Abraham Accords, has said the Iran war could reshape its regional alliances, citing disappointment with some of its closest Arab partners.
• “Amid the limited positive developments to emerge from the Iran war, this relationship (with Abu Dhabi) stands out as ‘good news,’” an Israeli source with close knowledge of relations with the UAE told CNN. “Ties have advanced to a new level, including at the leadership level.”
• “It increases the UAE’s distance from traditional Gulf policy and transforms them into something entirely different in the region and for Israel,” the official said, adding that the UAE “found themselves alone - and Israel and the United States were there for them.”
• But when the United Arab Emirates came under a relentless Iranian attack during the US-Israeli war on Tehran, Israel agreed to deploy one of its most sensitive military systems.

What we know

Going deeper, the UAE, which in 2020 became the first Arab nation in 26 years to normalize ties with Israel under the Abraham Accords, has said the Iran war could reshape its regional alliances, citing disappointment with some of its closest Arab partners.

On the substance, But when the United Arab Emirates came under a relentless Iranian attack during the US-Israeli war on Tehran, Israel agreed to deploy one of its most sensitive military systems.

Beyond the headlines, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu secretly ordered the Israeli military to send an Iron Dome interceptor battery - and soldiers to operate it - to the UAE after a call with President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a move that demonstrates just how far ties have come.

More precisely, Now, as the UAE distances itself from its traditional allies because of their stance on the Iran war, Israel sees an unprecedented opportunity to further strengthen its ties, several Israeli officials have told CNN.

It is worth noting that UAE officials and state-linked commentators have in recent weeks issued rare public rebukes of Arab nations for failing to step up as the country bore the brunt of Iran’s attacks during Tehran’s retaliation in the US-Israeli war.

What they're saying

“Amid the limited positive developments to emerge from the Iran war, this relationship (with Abu Dhabi) stands out as ‘good news,’” an Israeli source with close knowledge of relations with the UAE told CNN. “Ties have advanced to a new level, including at the leadership level.”

“It increases the UAE’s distance from traditional Gulf policy and transforms them into something entirely different in the region and for Israel,” the official said, adding that the UAE “found themselves alone - and Israel and the United States were there for them.”

“The war brought an unprecedented level of closeness, driven largely by a shared sense of fate – both countries were attacked and the enemy is common,” said another Israeli official. “This will definitely be reflected in the expansion of relations from here on.”

The wider context

On a related note, the covert Israeli deployment of the country’s vaunted Iron Dome missile defense system in the UAE underscored the nations’ deepening ties, an Israeli source familiar with the matter told CNN last week, confirming a report by Axios.

Going deeper, Israel and the UAE share a common view of radical Islam as the primary threat, the source with knowledge of UAE-Israel ties said, adding that Israel “has also backed the UAE in its tensions with Saudi Arabia over the Horn of Africa.”

On the substance, this wasn’t the first time Israel had provided the UAE with its air defense systems, according to two other sources.

Beyond the headlines, CNN has reached out to the UAE foreign ministry about the level of support Israel has provided to it, including Iron Dome batteries.

More precisely, Yoel Guzansky, a senior researcher at the Tel Aviv-based Institute for National Security Studies and former official at Israel’s National Security Council, said the UAE was now one of the closest countries to Israel globally. “It’s not just security.

The bottom line

• The UAE, which in 2020 became the first Arab nation in 26 years to normalize ties with Israel under the Abraham Accords, has said the Iran war could reshape its regional alliances, citing disappointment with some of its closest Arab partners.
• The covert Israeli deployment of the country’s vaunted Iron Dome missile defense system in the UAE underscored the nations’ deepening ties, an Israeli source familiar with the matter told CNN last week, confirming a report by Axios.
• This wasn’t the first time Israel had provided the UAE with its air defense systems, according to two other sources.
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