Emirati air force officer enrolled in Israeli college: Report

ByNews Desk- The Cradle 

An Israeli broadcasting agency has reported that the unnamed officer is the first Arab to enroll in Israel’s National Security College

Israeli public broadcasting agency Kan reported on 27 June that an Emirati air force officer had enrolled in Israel’s National Security College.

The unnamed officer, who enjoys the rank of colonel in the UAE military, is reportedly “the first Arab to enter the college,” Kan reported.

The broadcasting agency quoted an Israeli security official as saying: “Other than the symbolic importance of the mere participation of the Emirati officer in studying at the college in Israel, there is the issue of security and regional cooperation.”

“This officer,” the broadcast went on to say, “graduated from the National Security College in the Emirates, which is administered under the American academic program.”

Upon completion of the college curriculum, graduates of the Israeli academic institution are qualified to occupy senior leadership and administrative positions, while those who already occupy military positions can be promoted to higher ranks within the military establishment in Israel.

The 10-month program includes a master’s degree in political science, through which students prepare research into several issues in relation to Israel’s national security.

The program also provides tours of the occupied territories.

In October last year, Emirati fighter jets participated in Israel’s largest air force exercise.

This was the result of the so-called Abraham Accords, a series of US-sponsored normalization treaties signed in 2020 between Israel and a number of Arab states, including Bahrain and the UAE.

A month later, the US, Israel, the UAE, and Bahrain began a five-day joint naval training program in the Red Sea.

As part of its hostile position towards Iran, which is shared by a number of Gulf states including Abu Dhabi, Israel recently deployed radar systems in multiple countries throughout West Asia, including the UAE and Bahrain, according to an Israeli media report on 9 June.

Israel has also been known to provide logistical support to the Saudi-led coalition that is waging a brutal war on Yemen, in which the UAE plays an integral role.

The Kan radio report comes amid recent speculation that Saudi Arabia may be joining the UAE and Bahrain in normalizing relations with Tel Aviv.

Last month, Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said that Israel has been talking with the US and Gulf Arab countries on possibilities for normalizing relations with the kingdom.