Fear of Iranian Attack Led Israeli Defense Officials To Cancel UAE Arms Fair Trip

Israel decided not to send a delegation of officials from defense companies to the largest Middle East arms fair held last week in Abu Dhabi over fear of an Iranian attack on the Israelis, Israel’s Channel 12 reported Saturday.

The stated reason that the delegation canceled its appearance at the IDEX arms fair was the closure of Ben-Gurion airport due to regulations to control the spread of the coronavirus. It would have been the first time that Israel had participated in the arms fair, a dividend of the Abraham Accords.

The UAE was aware of the real reason that the Israeli delegation pulled out, and refrained from issuing a condemnation, Channel 12 reported.