How the UAE and Israel Navigated a Serious Speed Bump in their Relationship (AUDIO INTERVIEW)

The Media Line speaks with former US envoy Daniel Shapiro about a Dubai hotel room, the death of a top Hamas operative and Washington’s not-so-new role as a couples counselor

Last week, the United Arab Emirates and Israel, with the help of the United States, agreed to pursue a full normalization of ties.

Those ties began years ago, well behind the scenes, but their progress suffered a major blow in 2010 when the UAE accused Israel of assassinating Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, a top Hamas operative, while he was staying at a Dubai hotel.

It took some time and effort – and again, some help from the US – to get the relationship back on track. The Media Line spoke with Daniel Shapiro, the US ambassador to Israel at the time, for some details.