Seth J. Frantzman, Columnist

Business Deals May Give Netanyahu an Excuse Against Annexation

An agreement between Israeli defense companies and an Emirati tech firm augurs well for peace.

July 9, 2020 at 5:00 AM UTC

Seth J. Frantzman covers Middle East affairs for the Jerusalem Post. He is the author of "After ISIS: America, Iran and the Struggle for the Middle East" and executive director of the Middle East Center for Reporting and Analysis.

The sky’s the limit for Israeli-Emirati relations.
Photographer: Christopher Pike/Bloomberg

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Two of Israel’s largest defense companies have signed a historic agreement with Group 42 Inc. in Abu Dhabi, to work on technology solutions for the coronavirus pandemic. Group 42 specializes in cloud computing and artificial intelligence; Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd and Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd are best known for military technology; both were involved in the development of the Iron Dome missile-defense system.

All three companies are already involved in fighting the pandemic in their respective countries. Group 42 has offered the use of its supercomputers to researchers working on solutions for the disease. In Israel, the government mobilized defense companies against the outbreak.