Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday decided not to include Israel's security establishment in the Israeli team set to travel to the United Arab Emirates to discuss the details of the historic peace deal announced two weeks ago.
Top U.S. President Donald Trump adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner and the other U.S. delegates arrived in Israel on Sunday morning to prepare for the UAE mission. The U.S. delegation will accompany Israeli officials on the trip.
Prime Minister's Office said the delegation, which is set to travel to Abu Dhabi on Monday, will discuss only "civil issues", with matters concerning security set to be detailed at a later date.
The office said the decision was made following talks with UAE officials and full coordination with Defense Minister Benny Gantz.
High-profile Defense Ministry representatives, including the ministry's director general, as well as the heads of the Shin Bet and Mossad intelligence agencies were set to travel to Abu Dhabi as part of the Israeli delegation.
Among the issues which were set to be discussed during the meeting on Monday is the sale of advanced U.S. F-35 warplanes to the Emiratis, which some experts say would undermine Israel's military superiority in the region.
The potential sale is said to be a secret clause in the UAE-Israel agreement, brokered by the Americans. Although all sides denied having a secret clause, Trump recently told reporters at a White House news conference the Emiratis had expressed interest in buying “quite a few” of the stealth fighter jets.
He said such a sale was “under review” given the new dynamic between Israel and the UAE since the two nations agreed to normalize relations.