Israel’s New Foreign Minister Gets Muted Reception on First UAE Visit
Yair Lapid, center left, arrives to the Abu Dhabi airport on June 29.
Source: AFP via Getty Images
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Israel’s new foreign minister was given a subdued reception in the United Arab Emirates Tuesday as he began the first high-level visit by an official from the Jewish state since the two countries normalized ties less than a year ago.
Yair Lapid’s two-day trip was intended to deepen those fledging ties but the website of the UAE’s official WAM news agency didn’t immediately appear to carry a report on his arrival, and access for international media was strictly limited. His counterpart, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, wasn’t at the airport to meet Lapid, with the job delegated to a junior minister. The two did meet later.