The United Arab Emirates have officially and historically opened its Embassy in Israel located in the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange Building in a festive ceremony held on location this morning. The event was held in the presence of the President of Israel, HE Isaac Herzog; UAE Minister of State for Food and Water Security, currently visiting Israel, HE Mariam Almheiri; UAE Ambassador to Israel, HE Mohamed Al Khaja; Mayor of Tel Aviv-Yafo, Mr. Ron Huldai; Former Foreign Affairs Minister of Israel, Mr. Gabi Ashkenazi; CEO of TASE, Mr. Ittai Ben-Zeev; and Mr. Amnon Neubach, Chairman of the Board of Directors of TASE.
The event began with a traditional flag raising ceremony, during which the UAE's flag was raised proudly outside of the Stock Exchange building, after which the UAE National Anthem, "Ishy Biladi" ("Long Live My Country") was sung. Then, President of Israel, H.E Isaac Herzog and H.E Ambassador Al Khaja made their remarks and led the ribbon-cutting ceremony. The event concluded with honorary guests officially opening the trade-day, pushing the TASE buzzer on stage.
President of Israel, HE Isaac Herzog: “The opening of this embassy is an important milestone in our shared journey towards a future of peace, prosperity and security for the Middle East. While seeing the Emirati flag flying proudly in Tel Aviv might have seemed like a far-off dream only one year ago, in many ways, nothing could be more natural. I'd like to commend the courageous decision of the UAE's leadership, to open the door to a warm friendship between our peoples, is not only important for Israel and the UAE, but for the entire Middle East. The Abraham Accords will promote stability and security throughout our region, and will demonstrate to all, the tremendous promise and potential of peace. This historic peace agreement must be extended to other countries seeking peace with the state of Israel. We are a nation of peace and those who are interested in peace with us will be welcomed with open arms. In my recent phone calls with the leaders of the region, I realized once again, that we have far more partners and allies in this mission that some may believe".
H.E Ambassador Mohamed Al Khaja: "Ten months ago, our two countries signed the Abraham Accords with a vision to pursue peace, security, and prosperity in our region. Today's official opening of the UAE Embassy is a key part of that vision. This embassy will serve not just as a home for diplomats, but as a base for our task to continue to build on our new partnership, to seek dialogue – not dispute, to build a new paradigm of peace, and to provide a model for a new, collaborative approach to conflict resolution in the Middle East"
In our post-COVID world, those who innovate, will lead. The UAE and Israel are both innovative nations. We can harness this creativity to work towards a more prosperous and sustainable future for our countries and our region. The people in this region are eager for a stable, functioning, and prosperous Middle East. It is time for new approaches and thinking to set a new and better path for the future of the region".
Ittai Ben-Zeev, CEO of TASE: “This is an exciting and historic day. I take this opportunity to wish our President, Mr. Isaac Herzog, a successful term in office. In his speech, the President said that peace is created by people and leaders, as is the case with the Abraham Accords. I believe that I speak for all the people of Israel in saying that we are delighted with this opportunity and will do anything that we can to make sure that the peace agreement brings an abundance of prosperity and good, not only to the people of Israel, but to the whole Middle East. We believe that this is only the first step in a long and exciting journey that will improve our region, teach us new perceptions and beliefs, bring us closer together and create a better society. I also strongly believe that we can learn from the UAE's extraordinary long-term planning and strategy. The implementation of this approach by the Government of Israel will allow us to achieve better results for the future. Inshallah."
