News   /   Palestine   /   Persian Gulf

Israeli pavilion at UAE’s IDEX 2023: Deepening normalization

IDEX 2023 hosts Israeli firms in February 2023. (Photo by AFP)

The United Arab Emirates has hosted the Israeli regime as part of the largest arms show in the Middle East, advancing its normalization deal with the regime despite widespread public opposition.

Israeli channel 7 said on Monday that the move comes as part of the Emirati and Israeli efforts to steadily deepen their military partnership, including weapons procurement, since they normalized relations in 2020 as part of the US-brokered “Abraham Accords.”

Some 60 countries showcase their know-how in air, land, and naval defense at IDEX 2023 in Emirati capital of Abu Dhabi between February 20 and 24. Israel has a pavilion at the exhibition, boasting multiple military firms and their technologies.

Over 30 leading Israeli military industries presented their technological solutions at IDEX, including Elbit. Some of the technologies included air defense systems, rocket and missile systems, unmanned aerial systems, artificial intelligence, electro-optical systems, cyber solutions, and more. 

On a related note, the Israeli Rafael Advanced Defense Systems held an inauguration ceremony on Monday to officially open its new facility in the UAE.

The Israeli company’s president and CEO Yoav Har-Even presided over the “intimate” event with Emirati and Israeli officials, revealing plans to showcase the firm’s Iron Beam high-energy laser weapon system (HELWS) at this month’s IDEX 2023.

Back in 2020, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain signed United States-brokered agreements with Israel to normalize their ties with the regime. Some other regional states, namely Sudan and Morocco, followed suit soon afterward.

However, an opinion poll, conducted by the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies (ACRPS) in January, indicated that 84% of the participants disapprove any recognition of Israel by their home countries. 

The latest findings were based on face-to-face interviews with 33,000 individuals from 14 Arab countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Bahrain and Sudan.

Also, the normalization deals have sparked widespread condemnations from the Palestinians as well as nations and human rights advocates across the globe, especially within the Muslim world.


Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk

SHARE THIS ARTICLE
Press TV News Roku