Israel Mossad head and UAE national security adviser discuss security cooperation

The head of Israel’s foreign intelligence service Mossad, Yossi Cohen, met the national security adviser of the United Arab Emirates during a visit to the country, the UAE’s state news agency WAM said on Tuesday.

“The two sides discussed prospects for cooperation in the security field, and shared perspectives on regional developments and issues of common interested, including both countries’ efforts to contain COVID-19,” WAM said.

Cohen’s trip marked the first visit to the UAE by an Israeli official after the announcement last week by US President Donald Trump that the two countries had agreed to normalize relations.

As part of the deal, Israel agreed to suspend the annexation of occupied West Bank territories, although Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the plan was not off the table in the long run.

The Israel-UAE deal is only the third such accord Israel has struck with an Arab country, and raises the prospect of similar deals with other pro-Western Gulf states.

Trump said leaders from the two countries would sign the agreement at the White House in the coming weeks.

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