Israel offers UAE security, intelligence support after deadly Houthi attack

Published January 19, 2022
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett chairs the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, Israel, December 12. — Reuters
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett chairs the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, Israel, December 12. — Reuters

Israel has offered security and intelligence support to the United Arab Emirates against further drone attacks after a deadly strike by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi group, according to a letter released on Tuesday by Israel's leader.

Three people were killed and six wounded on Monday when three tanker trucks exploded in Abu Dhabi, the UAE capital. A Houthi military spokesman said the group fired "a large number" of drones and five ballistic missiles in the attack.

On Twitter, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett condemned what he described as a "terrorist drone attack".

His spokesman attached a copy of a condolence letter he sent on Monday to the UAE's de facto leader, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan.

"We stand ready to offer you security and intelligence support in order to help you protect your citizens from similar attacks," Bennett wrote. "I have ordered the Israeli security establishment to provide their counterparts in the UAE with any assistance, should you be interested."

The UAE, along with Bahrain, signed US-brokered normalisation agreements with Israel at the White House in 2020. The two Gulf nations and Israel share common concerns about Iran and its allied forces in the region.

"Israel is committed to working closely with you in the ongoing battle against extremist forces in the region, and we will continue to partner with you to defeat our common enemies," Bennett said in his message to Sheikh Mohammed.

Bennett and Sheikh Mohammed held talks in Abu Dhabi in December last year, the first ever public meeting between the two men.

Opinion

Editorial

Climate action
Updated 24 Mar, 2025

Climate action

Waiting for outside help to arrive will only aggravate our climate challenges and not mitigate them.
TB burden
24 Mar, 2025

TB burden

AS the world observes World Tuberculosis Day, we confront the sombre fact that despite being both preventable and...
Unsafe passages
24 Mar, 2025

Unsafe passages

WRETCHED social conditions add an extra layer of cruelty to ordinary lives. The UN’s migration agency says that...
Judicial disputes
Updated 23 Mar, 2025

Judicial disputes

Public perceptions of the institution’s independence and neutrality have taken a hit due to bitter, public spats between senior judges.
Biased proposal
23 Mar, 2025

Biased proposal

PAKISTAN’S tax system is extortionist, unpredictable and unsupportive of investment and economic growth. It...
JFK files
23 Mar, 2025

JFK files

THE latest cache of declassified documents from what are known as the ‘Kennedy files’ have not really impressed...