President of Israel, Reuven Rivlin, has invited the United Arab Emirate's de facto ruler, Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, to visit Jerusalem.
This comes after a peace deal was reached between Israel and the UAE, with support from the US, on 13 August. The deal, which is expected to be signed at the White House within the next three weeks, means that Abu Dhabi is beginning the process of recognizing and normalizing relations with Tel Aviv. Under the accord, Israel has agreed to suspend its plans to annex parts of the West Bank. The UAE and Israel are also expected to mutually establish embassies.
As soon as the agreement is signed, the UAE will become the third Arab country after Egypt and Jordan to establish formal diplomatic relations with Israel since the country's founding in 1948.
The Israeli-UAE deal has been received differently across the political scene: Iran called it a "huge mistake, a treacherous act"; while the Palestinian Authority rejected the deal, describing it as a "stab in the back" to their cause. Turkey also reacted negatively, threatening to cut ties with the UAE. Russia and China praised the deal for its proposed suspension of the West Bank annexation process. Egypt, Bahrain, Oman and the European Union welcomed the agreement too.