Israeli president meets UAE vice president on first official visit

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UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid meets Israeli President Isaac Herzog. (WAM)
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UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid meets Israeli President Isaac Herzog. (WAM)
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Israeli President Isaac Herzog tours Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi. (WAM)
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Israeli President Isaac Herzog tours Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi. (WAM)
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UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid meets Israeli President Isaac Herzog. (WAM)
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Updated 31 January 2022
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Israeli president meets UAE vice president on first official visit

  • Isaac Herzog and his wife Michal visited the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi

RIYADH: UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid met Israeli President Isaac Herzog at the UAE pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai, state news agency WAM reported on Monday.
Sheikh Mohammed welcomed Herzog, who is on his first official visit to the UAE, and the two sides discussed the future of economic, commercial and investment cooperation.
They also held talks on raising the level of scientific and technological cooperation and other paths that supported the future of development, as well as various regional and international developments, issues of common concern, and international efforts to accelerate the pace of global recovery.

Sheikh Mohammed said that Israel’s participation in the expo, along with more than 190 countries, opened several areas for cooperation as “the mega global event seeks to shape a better future for humanity based on peaceful coexistence and sharing of expertise and resources.”
Herzog and his wife Michal visited the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi as part of his official visit.

Mohammed Al-Khajja, the UAE’s ambassador to Israel, and Amir Hayek, Israeli ambassador to the UAE, and several senior Israeli officials accompanied Herzog.
Dr. Yousif Al-Obaidli, director-general of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Center, accompanied the president and his accompanying delegation on a tour of the mosque’s halls and external corridors.
They were briefed by one of the center’s cultural tour specialists about the mosque’s message “that underscores notions of coexistence, tolerance, and openness to cultures, emanating from the nation’s late founder’s rich legacy,” according to a statement on WAM.
They also learned about the mosque’s history, components, and aesthetic features of Islamic art and architecture.

The Israeli leader was presented with two of the center’s publications at the end of the visit.
One was “Spaces of Light” and showcases the winning photographs from the “Spaces of Light” photography award, which is held annually by the center in celebration of the aesthetics and visual culture of the mosque.
The other was “Houses of God” and is about places of worship in Islamic history, including the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque.


Aggression will be met with ‘immediate harsh response’: Iranian political adviser

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Aggression will be met with ‘immediate harsh response’: Iranian political adviser

TEHRAN: A top political adviser to Iran’s supreme leader said on Monday that any aggression against the country would be met with an “immediate harsh response,” after US President Donald Trump threatened to “eradicate” any attempt by Tehran to rebuild its nuclear program.
“Iran’s #Missile_Capability and defense are not containable or permission-based. Any aggression will face an immediate #Harsh_Response beyond its planners’ imagination,” Ali Shamkhani wrote on X.

Speaking at a news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday in Florida, Trump threatened to “eradicate” any attempt by Tehran to rebuild its nuclear program or ballistic missile arsenal following US and Israeli strikes earlier this year.

During their fifth meeting in the United States since Trump’s return to power this year, Netanyahu also appeared to have steered the US leader toward focusing on Israel’s concerns about Iran.
Israeli officials and media have expressed concern in recent months that Iran is rebuilding its ballistic missile arsenal after it came under attack during the 12-day war with Israel in June.
Trump said Iran “may be behaving badly” and was looking at new nuclear sites to replace those targeted by US strikes during the same conflict, as well as restoring its missiles.
“I hope they’re not trying to build up again because if they are, we’re going have no choice but very quickly to eradicate that buildup,” Trump said, adding that the US response “may be more powerful than the last time.”
But Trump said he believed Iran was still interested in a deal with Washington on its nuclear and missile programs. Tehran denies that it is seeking nuclear weapons.
Iran on Monday denounced the reports as a “psychological operation” against Tehran, emphasizing it was fully prepared to defend itself, and warning renewed aggression would “result in harsher consequences” for Israel.