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In this analysis
Benjamin Netanyahu's reported visit to Abu Dhabi matters less as a diplomatic spectacle than as evidence of institutional persistence. Israel and the UAE have disagreed sharply over Gaza, Iran and regional escalation, yet direct channels established after the Abraham Accords remain usable at leadership level.
Normalisation has therefore survived conditions that would once have been expected to sever an Arab-Israeli relationship.
The relationship is strategic, not sentimental
For the UAE, ties with Israel offer security cooperation, technology and an additional channel into Washington. For Israel, the UAE is a regional partner with financial weight, diplomatic reach and access across the Gulf. Those interests can coexist with serious disagreement.
Secrecy reveals the political constraint
The sensitivity around meetings also shows the limits of normalisation. Regional public opinion and the Palestinian issue constrain how openly governments can advertise cooperation. A relationship can be strategically valuable while remaining politically costly.
Durability is now the story
The Abraham Accords should increasingly be judged not by signing ceremonies but by whether relationships remain functional during crises. The UAE-Israel channel has so far met that harder test.