UAE says opening "does not represent any
change in position" between the nations which
do not have diplomatic relation
Israel is to open its first ever official and visible
presence in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United
Arab Emirates (UAE), even though the two
countries have no diplomatic relations.
The mission would represent Israel at the
International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA),
which is headquartered in Abu Dhabi.
Emmanuel Nahshon, a spokesman for the
Israeli foreign ministry, confirmed the opening
to Al Jazeera.
Nashon denied, however, that the mission
meant that Israel and the UAE had now
established diplomatic relations.
He stressed that the Israeli diplomatic
representative will be accredited to IRENA, not
the UAE’s foreign ministry.
"We only have an accredited diplomat to
represent Israel at IRENA which is an
international organisation that happened to be
based in Abu Dhabi," adding that "the
representative will be a resident diplomat in
Abu Dhabi with IRENA only".
An official at the UAE foreign ministry said that
the opening of the Israeli office did not signal a
rapprochement between the two countries.
In a statement quoted by the UAE's official
news agency WAM, Maryam Al Falasi, the
director of communications at the ministry,
said that "any agreement between IRENA and
Israel does not represent any change in the
position of the UAE or its relations with Israel".
“IRENA is an international, independent agency
that works according to the laws, regulations
and norms that govern the work of such
organisations," she said.
Falasi added that the functions of missions
accredited to IRENA are "limited to affairs
related to their communications and dealings
with the agency.
"They do not, under any circumstances, cover
any other activities and do not involve any
obligation upon the host country with regards
to its diplomatic relations or any other
relations."
The Israeli paper Haaretz reported that Dore
Gold, the director of Israel’s foreign ministry,
visited Abu Dhabi on Tuesday to participate in
the initial IRENA meetings, but also used his
presence in Abu Dhabi to finalise the details of
Israel's mission in the country.
When asked if he would like to see his country
having full diplomatic relations with the UAE,
Nahshon told Al Jazeera: "Yes, we would love
to. We would like to have diplomatic relations
with everyone in the region."
Shaky relations
Across the Arab world, Israel only maintains
embassies in Egypt and Jordan.
The UAE, along with other Arab countries, does
not have diplomatic ties with Israel and
remains opposed to its occupation of lands
Palestinians want for a future state.
Israeli passport holders are barred from
entering the UAE, a federation of seven
emirates, though the government allows Israeli
athletes, businessmen and others to enter the
country from time to time for competitions and
events.
Last month, Israeli competitors took part in a
judo tournament in Abu Dhabi without wearing
their country's flag.
Saeb Erekat, a senior member of the Palestine
Liberation Organisation, told Al Jazeera he was
not aware of the reports but that he will confer
with the Palestinian leadership next week to
discuss the new development.
IRENA, which describes itself on its website as
an "intergovernmental organisation that
supports countries in their transition to a
sustainable energy future" has seen the
participation of Israel in Abu Dhabi before.
In 2010, then-Israeli National Infrastructure
Minister Uzi Landau attended an IRENA
conference in Abu Dhabi on behalf of his
country, becoming the first cabinet-level official
to visit the Emirates.
Qatar at one point allowed an Israeli trade
office to operate in the country before ordering
it closed following a 2008-2009 Israeli military
offensive in the Gaza Strip.
An earlier Israeli trade office in Oman has also
been shuttered since 2000.
Tensions remain between Israel and the UAE,
most notably over the 2010 assassination in a
Dubai hotel room of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, a
senior operative in the Palestinian
group Hamas.
change in position" between the nations which
do not have diplomatic relation
Israel is to open its first ever official and visible
presence in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United
Arab Emirates (UAE), even though the two
countries have no diplomatic relations.
The mission would represent Israel at the
International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA),
which is headquartered in Abu Dhabi.
Emmanuel Nahshon, a spokesman for the
Israeli foreign ministry, confirmed the opening
to Al Jazeera.
Nashon denied, however, that the mission
meant that Israel and the UAE had now
established diplomatic relations.
He stressed that the Israeli diplomatic
representative will be accredited to IRENA, not
the UAE’s foreign ministry.
"We only have an accredited diplomat to
represent Israel at IRENA which is an
international organisation that happened to be
based in Abu Dhabi," adding that "the
representative will be a resident diplomat in
Abu Dhabi with IRENA only".
An official at the UAE foreign ministry said that
the opening of the Israeli office did not signal a
rapprochement between the two countries.
In a statement quoted by the UAE's official
news agency WAM, Maryam Al Falasi, the
director of communications at the ministry,
said that "any agreement between IRENA and
Israel does not represent any change in the
position of the UAE or its relations with Israel".
“IRENA is an international, independent agency
that works according to the laws, regulations
and norms that govern the work of such
organisations," she said.
Falasi added that the functions of missions
accredited to IRENA are "limited to affairs
related to their communications and dealings
with the agency.
"They do not, under any circumstances, cover
any other activities and do not involve any
obligation upon the host country with regards
to its diplomatic relations or any other
relations."
The Israeli paper Haaretz reported that Dore
Gold, the director of Israel’s foreign ministry,
visited Abu Dhabi on Tuesday to participate in
the initial IRENA meetings, but also used his
presence in Abu Dhabi to finalise the details of
Israel's mission in the country.
When asked if he would like to see his country
having full diplomatic relations with the UAE,
Nahshon told Al Jazeera: "Yes, we would love
to. We would like to have diplomatic relations
with everyone in the region."
Shaky relations
Across the Arab world, Israel only maintains
embassies in Egypt and Jordan.
The UAE, along with other Arab countries, does
not have diplomatic ties with Israel and
remains opposed to its occupation of lands
Palestinians want for a future state.
Israeli passport holders are barred from
entering the UAE, a federation of seven
emirates, though the government allows Israeli
athletes, businessmen and others to enter the
country from time to time for competitions and
events.
Last month, Israeli competitors took part in a
judo tournament in Abu Dhabi without wearing
their country's flag.
Saeb Erekat, a senior member of the Palestine
Liberation Organisation, told Al Jazeera he was
not aware of the reports but that he will confer
with the Palestinian leadership next week to
discuss the new development.
IRENA, which describes itself on its website as
an "intergovernmental organisation that
supports countries in their transition to a
sustainable energy future" has seen the
participation of Israel in Abu Dhabi before.
In 2010, then-Israeli National Infrastructure
Minister Uzi Landau attended an IRENA
conference in Abu Dhabi on behalf of his
country, becoming the first cabinet-level official
to visit the Emirates.
Qatar at one point allowed an Israeli trade
office to operate in the country before ordering
it closed following a 2008-2009 Israeli military
offensive in the Gaza Strip.
An earlier Israeli trade office in Oman has also
been shuttered since 2000.
Tensions remain between Israel and the UAE,
most notably over the 2010 assassination in a
Dubai hotel room of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, a
senior operative in the Palestinian
group Hamas.
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