Israel to Send Envoys to Abu Dhabi, 3 Other Arab Cities

Israel is sending an official diplomatic envoy to the United Arab Emirates for the first time.

Eitan Na’eh, Israel’s former ambassador to Turkey, will leave in the coming days for Abu Dhabi, as the interim commissioner of the Israeli mission there, which will later become a permanent embassy, the Kan public broadcaster reported on Tuesday. An ambassador will be named after Israel’s elections in March and the formation of a new government.

Israel also is slated by the end of the month to set up missions and appoint official representatives to them in Dubai (UAE), Rabat (Morocco), and Manama (Bahrain) as a result of the Abraham Accords, which so far has established official relations between Israel and four Arab countries.  Plans for visits to the countries by Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi to inaugurate the missions are on hold due to the coronavirus crisis, according to the report.