Minister Regev's Dubai Remarks Jeopardize Strategic Relations

A public demand by Israel's Minister of Transport, Miri Regev, to halt Fly Dubai flights was reportedly made public before a discussion with the Prime Minister and security officials, an act described as damaging to the strategic partnership between Israel and the UAE. This partnership, built over the last decade, encompasses security coordination, over $3 billion in annual trade, 1.5 million annual passengers, and a vision for a corridor connecting the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean via Israel. Such assets, the article argues, are built on trust cultivated in private, not public pronouncements.

Fly Dubai, representing the public face of this partnership and owned by the Dubai Investment Corporation, is seen as a proxy for the UAE government. The airline maintained over 1,800 flights to Israel between October 2023 and November 2024, canceling only 77, while many European and American carriers suspended services. Until Israeli airlines were barred from landing in Dubai, Fly Dubai and Etihad Airways served as the sole air bridge between the two nations. Abu Dhabi also faced pressure during the Gaza war, yet maintained its ties with Israel, underscoring the need for special diplomatic sensitivity to avoid embarrassing partners and strengthening regional critics of the peace accords.

The article distinguishes between public relations and 'consciousness,' defining the latter as an integral part of the decision-making process that influences whether a strategic move will advance or harm objectives. This 'consciousness' should sometimes precede decisions to prepare the ground for future actions. The author notes this is not the first time an Israeli minister has spoken before fully considering implications, especially during election periods when public statements carry amplified weight both domestically and internationally. The piece concludes by likening a single ill-considered statement to a pilot attempting to crash a plane, emphasizing that responsibility, like a crew and passengers stopping a pilot, is needed to prevent such damage.