UAE cabinet gives nod to establishing an embassy in Israel

• UAE cabinet okays opening embassy in Tel Aviv
• UAE and Israel had normalised relations in August in a deal brokered by then US president Donald Trump
• Pakistan has apprised UAE of its position that Islamabad will not recognise Tel Aviv until the Palestine issue is resolved

DUBAI: The United Arab Emirates cabinet on Sunday approved the establishment of an embassy in the city of Tel Aviv in Israel, state media said.

The UAE and Israel agreed to normalise relations in August, a deal forged largely over shared fears of Iran.

Trump announces 'historic peace agreement' between Israel, UAE

Israel had signed peace agreements with Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994. But the UAE, along with most other Arab nations, did not recognise Israel and had no formal diplomatic or economic relations with it until last year.

A joint statement issued by the US, Israel and the Emirates said Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed had “agreed to the full normalisation of relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates”.

“This historic diplomatic breakthrough will advance peace in the Middle East region and is a testament to the bold diplomacy and vision of the three leaders and the courage of the United Arab Emirates and Israel to chart a new path that will unlock the great potential in the region,” the statement said.

Since then Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco have all agreed to establish ties with Israel in deals brokered in 2020 by the administration of former US President Donald Trump.

Israel’s government regards Jerusalem as its capital, although that is not recognised by most of the international community. Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state. Most countries have their embassies in Tel Aviv.

No further details about the embassy were given in UAE media.

Pakistan's stance on ties with Israel

In December, following Minister for Foreign Affairs Shah Mahmood Qureshi's visit to the UAE, he said the Emirati leadership apprised him of their position during his visit.

He said he in turn apprised the Emirati leadership of Pakistan's position on Israel and stressed that Islamabad will not recognise Tel Aviv until the Palestine issue is resolved.

Qureshi denied any pressure on Pakistan to recognise Israel .