Israelis, Emiratis meet in Dubai to discuss investments

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — At the luxurious Armani hotel inside the world's tallest skyscraper in Dubai, Israelis in kippas and Emiratis in long white robes and kanduras gathered Wednesday to discuss investment opportunities. They aimed to make the most of deepening ties nine months after the two countries agreed to formalize relations.

There was extremely little mention of the Palestinians or the fact that barely two weeks ago, Israel was a country still at war.

Rather, the conversations were laser-focused on business. Several Israeli and Emirati speakers opened their remarks with both the Hebrew greeting of “Shalom” and the Arabic greeting of “Salam.” They spoke about boosting tourism, creating jobs, technology sharing, diversifying economies and tackling issues of water scarcity.

Since the UAE and Israel formalized ties in September, tens of thousands of Israeli tourists have come to the UAE — mostly to Dubai or in targeted visits to the capital of Abu Dhabi.

Trade between the two countries has already exceeded $354 million. The two countries have signed around 25 agreements in more than 15 sectors, said Minister of State for Foreign Trade, Thani bin Ahmed Al-Zayoudi, the highest-level Emirati official at the event.

There has been no indication the 11-day war in Gaza, which ended with an inconclusive cease-fire May 21, has slowed down budding Emirati-Israeli ties.

The war killed 254 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, including 67 children and 22 people from the same family, aged 6-months-old to 89-years-old. Hamas, which rules Gaza, says 80 of its fighters were killed. Eleven civilians, including two children, were killed in Israel, along with one soldier in the conflict.

The investment forum was worlds away from the war's devastation. In the lavish and...