The New Arab
Israeli and UAE businessmen have allegedly brokered secret arms agreements, an investigation in Israel has revealed.
Israeli businessman Metai Kokhafi was allegedly responsible for brokering arms deals with his Emirati counterparts, according to a report in Maariv newspaper.
He said Kokhafi hired a private plane to fly his assistants and generals into the UAE capital Abu Dhabi to agree on the terms of the deal.
An Israeli military visit to the capital was an essential part of each military sales, the jouralist alleged.
Amog the generals who were reported to have visited Abu Dhabi was the former commander of the Israeli Air Force, Eitan Ben Eliyahu. He led the weapons during Operation Grapes of Wrath in southern Lebanon in 1996.
The report says that Kokhavi had "embarrassed Israel" after he boasted during a meeting in Singapore that he and his team were mediating arms deals with the UAE.
The investigation did not specify whether the Abu Dhabi government was complicit in carrying out the arms deals.
Tel Aviv's censorship
In the report, Melman had criticised Tel Aviv for remaining silent on arms dealings and co-operation with Arab states, saying that it would be beneficial for Israel if the evolving relationship was more overt.
He said the reason behind censorship, which is to "ensure no lives of officials are put in danger" is redundant, hinting that normalising relations with Arab states should be made public.
Melman had also drawn parallels between Tel Aviv's quiet relationship with Abu Dhabi with Israel's open diplomatic ties with Egypt.
https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/news/2017/10/7/uae-and-israel-have-history-of-secret-arms-deals
