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Israel, US to establish tourism ventures with Arab nations

The United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, Jordan and Egypt are to be among the participating countries.

An El Al plane carrying Israeli and U.S. delegations to Abu Dhabi departurs from Tel Aviv to Abu Dhabi, at Ben-Gurion International Airport, Aug. 31, 2020. Photo by Tomer Neuberg/Flash90.
An El Al plane carrying Israeli and U.S. delegations to Abu Dhabi departurs from Tel Aviv to Abu Dhabi, at Ben-Gurion International Airport, Aug. 31, 2020. Photo by Tomer Neuberg/Flash90.

The United States and Israel have agreed to establish a joint professional working team to promote tourism ventures between Israel, the United States and Arab countries that have normalized ties with the Jewish state.

The decision was made on Wednesday during a virtual meeting between Israeli Tourism Minister Yoel Razvozov and U.S. Ambassador to Israel Thomas Nides.

The countries that would be involved in the joint tourism ventures would include the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, Jordan and Egypt.

The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain signed the Abraham Accords in 2020. Israel normalized ties with Morocco soon after.

Nides and Razvozov also discussed the challenge of reopening tourism in the shadow of coronavirus, and launching cultural gatherings between Israel and countries in the region that would be led by the U.S. embassy.

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