Regular flights from Israel would bring many tourists to the UAE following the country’s historic peace accord with the country, said a Rabbi who is an expert in Muslim-Jewish relations.
The historic Abraham Accord was announced on Thursday after a phone call between US President Donald Trump, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Rabbi Marc Schneier, co-author of Sons of Abraham: a Candid Conversation about the Issues that Divide and Unite Jews and Muslims, regarded as the "definitive text" on Muslim-Jewish relations, said the accord had been widely celebrated in Israel.
Many Israelis had been keen to visit the UAE for some time, he said.
“So many people, even on the streets, have said, rabbi, when do you think we will see the day when we can come visit Dubai and learn more about our neighbours and Arab culture in the Gulf?” said the American.
“You are going to see an awesome multitude of people descending on the Emirates with supreme warmth, affection, respect and admiration for the leadership of the UAE and for what the country represents.”
The UAE agreed to establish diplomatic relations with Israel in exchange for the suspension of Israel's plan to annex a large area of Palestinian territory in the West Bank.
The accord envisages travel between the two countries, trade – including of technology and goods – and co-operation in areas such as food security, climate change and energy, according to a joint statement.
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PLO chairman Yasser Arafat holds the second phase of the Oslo peace accords after the initialling of the document, September 24, 1995, as Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres looks on. Israel and the PLO will officially sign the agreement in Washington later this week. REUTERS -
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) and Palestinian President Yasser Arafat (R) during their meeting at Erez Crossing point, northen Gaza Strip, December 24, 1996. Arafat and Netanyahu met here in search of an agreement to end Israeli occupation of Hebron and revive the peace process. In the background at left is U.S. mediator Dennis Ross. REUTERS -
Egyptian President Anouar el-Sadate (L) meets Israeli Prime minister Menahem Begin in Tel Aviv on November 23, 1977. AFP -
Photo taken on 20 November 1977 of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat (R) during a joint press conference he gave with Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin during his historic visit to Israel. Anwar al-Sadat's visit to Israel led fifteen months later to the signing of the first peace treaty between Israel and an Arab country. AFP -
Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin (2nd R) and Jordan's King Hussein (2nd L) are directed where to sign by unidentified aides as US President Bill Clinton (C) looks on during ceremonies at the White House in Washington, on July 25, 1994. AFP -
Palestinian President Yasser Arafat (R) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu both gesture for the other to leave a meeting December 24 1996, in the Israeli Civil Administration headquarters located along the Israeli - Gaza Strip border area. The two leaders met for for over three hours in a bid to clinch the agreement on the long-delayed Israeli troop redeployment in Hebron. Although no agreement was reached U.S. envoy Dennis-Ross said that "real progress" was made towards the long-elusive accord. REUTERS -
US President Bill Clinton (c) applauds as Jordan's King Hussein Ibn Talal (r) and Israeli Premier Yitzhak Rabin shake hands during the Israeli-Jordanian Peace Treaty signing ceremony at the Araba Israeli-Jordanian border 26 October 1994. AFP -
Qatar's Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani (R) greets Israel's Deputy Prime Minister Shimon Peres in Doha, 30 January 2007. AFP -
US President Bill Clinton (C), Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin (2nd-L), PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat (2nd-R), King Hussein I of Jordan (L)and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak (R) arrive for the signing ceremony of a Palestinian autonomy accord in the West Bank, at the white House in Washington, DC, 28 September 1995. AFP -
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, United States Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat (from L to R) prepare to start their meeting at an Israeli military base at the Erez crossing point, the main point of passage from the Gaza Strip into Israel. The three met for the third time in two weeks in an intensive US push to seal a new interim Mideast peace accord. AFP -
Palestinian President Yasser Arafat (R) shakes hands with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after United States' special envoy Dennis Ross (C) spoke, early January 15 after the two leaders met and agreed on the term for the long overdue Israeli troop redeployment in Hebron. The talks lasted less than two hours and concluded months of negotiations which will lead to the end of the Israeli military occupation in about 80 percent of Hebron. REUTERS -
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak (R) jokingly pushes Palestinian President Yasser Arafat (C) into the Laurel cabin on the grounds of Camp David as U.S. President Bill Clinton watches during peace talks, July 11 2000. Arafat and Barak were insisting that the other proceed through the door first. Camp David is the venue where Egypt and Israel made peace in September 1978, and the Laurel cabin was the site of many of the meetings. REUTERS -
Mahmoud Abbas (L), the Palestinian negotiator better known as Abu Mazen, and Israeli Foreign Minister Ariel Sharon turn to the cameras and smile as they shake hands at the start of their meeting in Sharon's office November 18. The two met to review the work of all the Israeli-Palestinian peace committees and to set a date for the resumption of final status talks. REUTERS -
Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Olmert (R) greets Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas during their meeting in Jerusalem September 16, 2008. REUTERS -
PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat (R) shake hands with Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin (L), as U.S. President Bill Clinton stands between them, after the signing of the Israeli-PLO peace accord, at the White House in Washington September 13, 1993. REUTERS -
US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright (C) sits next to at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat (R) during a working meeting in the Houghton House at the Wye River Plantation Conference Center in Maryland 16 October, 1998. AFP -
U.S. President Jimmy Carter, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin join hands in celebration of the signing of the Treaty of Peace Between the Arab Republic of Egypt and the State of Israel at the White House in Washington, D.C., March 26, 1979. REUTERS -
U.S. President George W. Bush discusses the Middle East peace process with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon of Israel (L) and Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas (R) in Aqaba, Jordan, June 4, 2003. REUTERS -
U.S. President Barack Obama watches Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (R) shake hands during a trilateral meeting in New York September 22, 2009. REUTERS -
United States' special envoy Dennis Ross looks on as Saeb Erekat (L), the chief Palestinian negotiator, and Dan Shomron, the chief Israeli negotiator, initial the documents that bring to a conclusion the long-delayed and overdue Israeli troop redeployment in the West Bank city of Hebron. Palestinian President Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu shook hands on the deal, and now both sides will take the agreement to their respective cabinets for approval. The troop redeployment will take place within ten days. REUTERS
The news was welcomed by the United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres; the UN Special Co-ordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Nikolay Mladenov; and a host of major states, including the UK and France.
Rabbi Schneier, who has been called the Rabbi to the Muslim world, visited the UAE to address the Global Conference of Human Fraternity last year during the Pope's visit.
His efforts to establish greater dialogue between Jews and Muslims stretch back 15 years and he has been visiting the Gulf for the past 13 years. He said he knows many of the leaders in the region personally.
The rabbi said he expects the “remarkable” accord to have a domino effect, which will see other regional countries normalise relations with Israel by the end of the year.
It would also save the two state solution, added the rabbi, who is based in the US.
“This is such a meaningful step on the part of the leadership of the UAE that will have tremendous results, ramifications in the most positive way throughout the region,” said the rabbi.
