The Emirati media have responded positively to the recent normalization deal, as have their Israeli counterparts, as evidenced by the front page of Tuesday’s Khaleej Times, the UAE’s longest-running English daily newspaper, which featured a photo of the landmark meeting of Monday in Abu Dhabi under the title “Salam, Shalom”.
The photo from Monday’s meeting featured Israeli National Security Advisor Meir Ben-Shabbat, United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Anwar Gargash and US Presidential Advisor Jared Kushner.
Beyond the etymological link between the Hebrew and Arabic words Salam and Shalom (both of which have the multiple meanings: peace, hello, and goodbye), the captions below the front page photo highlight other similarities between the countries, ranging from financial interests to culinary similarities.
On Monday, Israeli and US officials flew to Abu Dhabi to meet with UAE officials and discuss further details under the deal. UAE officials are expected to travel to Washington in September to continue these talks.
UAE Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed has also said he wants to visit Jerusalem in person as he seeks “comprehensive peace” with Israel, a senior UAE official told All Arab News.
