“Israel” Security College “To Have First UAE Officer Student”

The unnamed high-level officer, who is said to be a colonel, has received permission from the UAE authorities to attend, “Israeli” state broadcaster Kan reported on Monday, according to the Arabic Post.

The news is yet another sign of deepening ties between the UAE and the “Israeli” entity since their widely criticized 2020 agreement to normalize relations.

The inclusion of a UAE colonel, who is a pilot, at the entity’s National Security College is not only symbolic but has significance for military and regional ties, a security source was cited by Kan as saying.

The colonel will also be the first officer from an Arab state to attend the institution, The New Arab's Arabic sister service, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, said.

The pilot has previously studied at the UAE's defense college, which follows a US curriculum.

The “Israeli” National Security College's program runs for approximately 10 months and every year teaches around 10 overseas students from countries such as the UK, US and Italy.

The institution is for high-level “Israeli” military members.

News that the Emirati officer is to study in the “Israeli” entity comes amid joint talks held on Monday between representatives of the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco, Egypt, the entity and the US.

The discussions, the first follow-up meeting since the controversial Naqab [Negev] Summit in the “Israeli” entity in March, were held in Bahrain.

The UAE, Bahrain and Morocco agreed to normalize ties with the “Israeli” entity in 2020, in deals brokered by then-US President Donald Trump's administration.

Egypt has had an official relationship with its neighbor since 1980.