According to the Thursday report by the Yedioth Ahronoth daily, the summit had been set to take place in Abu Dhabi in April but has now been shelved after Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed was angered by what he reportedly perceived as Netanyahu’s endeavor to use the Gulf nation for electioneering.
Netanyahu had been long planning and repeatedly canceling an official visit to Abu Dhabi, most recently scheduled for last week. His election speeches have touted a UAE $10 billion investment fund aimed at strategic sectors in Israel.
As the Emiratis voiced anger over the political implications of a possible Netanyahu visit, the premier denied Wednesday he was still seeking to make the trip just days before Israel’s national election next Tuesday. He called the idea “spin,” even as a Likud ministerial colleague said it was indeed a possibility.
Israel and the UAE established ties last year in a deal known as the Abraham Accords, a diplomatic coup for Netanyahu brokered by his staunch ally, former US president Donald Trump. Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco have since followed suit.
Netanyahu has sought to burnish his credentials as Israel’s leading statesman as part of his reelection pitch ahead of March 23 polls, and a UAE visit could have aided that effort.
