Unique-Israel to promote air defence system to United Arab Emirates, sources say By Reuters

By Alexander Cornwell and John Irish

DUBAI/NEW YORK (Reuters) – Israel has agreed to promote a complicated air defence system to the United Arab Emirates, two sources aware of the matter stated, within the first such identified deal between them since they cast ties in 2020.

The deal reinforces how, for some Arab states, resolving the decades-long Israel-Palestinian battle has now been overshadowed by nationwide priorities, resembling safety and the economic system.

Israel and the U.S.-allied UAE share an final worry, that Iran obtains a nuclear weapon, an ambition Tehran denies.

Israel permitted a UAE request in the midst of the summer season and would provide the Gulf state with Rafael-made SPYDER cell interceptors, two sources stated, declining to supply additional particulars because of the delicate nature of the deal.

A 3rd supply stated the UAE had acquired Israeli know-how able to combating drone assaults like those who struck Abu Dhabi earlier this 12 months.

Israel’s defence ministry and SPYDER producer Rafael declined to remark. The UAE’s overseas ministry didn’t remark.

It was not instantly clear what number of interceptors, that are fitted to automobiles and may defend in opposition to brief to long-range threats, can be equipped, or if any had up to now been shipped.

Requested if Israel was offering the UAE with air defence techniques, parliament International Affairs and Defence Committee Chairman Ram Ben-Barak advised Israeli radio on Sept. 20 there was broad cooperation with the UAE, however declined additional remark.

ATTACKS

The necessity to bolster the UAE’s air defence capabilities elevated after a sequence of missile and drone strikes on the Gulf state in January and February. A lot of the assaults had been intercepted, however a strike killed three civilians in Abu Dhabi.

That strike rattled the leaders of the UAE, which has lengthy boasted of its safety and stability in a tumultuous area, overseas diplomats stated. An under-construction terminal at Abu Dhabi airport was additionally hit, injuring civilian staff, sources briefed on the assaults stated.

At the least some missiles and drones flew at low-altitude to flee detection by the UAE’s U.S.-built Terminal Excessive Altitude Space Protection (THAAD) and Patriot interceptors, the sources stated.

Rafael says SPYDER can defend giant areas from threats resembling drones, cruise missiles, assault plane, helicopters, and bombers, together with from low altitude.

President Isaac Herzog, visiting the UAE in January when an intercepted strike happened, stated Israel supported the UAE’s safety wants. And final week Prime Minister Yair Lapid stated he was horrified by the assaults and Israel stood by and with the UAE.

A lot of the strikes had been claimed by the Iran-aligned Houthi motion, who the UAE has been preventing within the warfare in Yemen as a part of the Saudi Arabian-led navy coalition searching for to revive the ousted authorities.

The sources stated the interceptors deal was reached in mid-summer, which was round when the US and Israel had been pushing Arab states to hyperlink their air defence techniques to raised defend in opposition to Iranian drone and missile assaults.

That proposal was met by resistance from some Arab states that Israel doesn’t have ties with, Reuters reported in July, though an Israeli official stated companion international locations had been synchronising techniques by way of distant digital communication.

Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the UAE president, advised reporters in July that the UAE would think about something that protects the nation from drones and missiles so long as it was defensive and never concentrating on a 3rd nation.

Gulf state Bahrain additionally established ties with Israel in 2020 and later the 2 signed a safety settlement. Israel and the UAE this 12 months signed a free commerce deal; Israel’s first with an Arab state. Negotiations with Bahrain began this week.