Israeli, UAE technology firms pen deal on virus research

Jerusalem: A state-linked technology firm within the United Arab Emirates has signed a partnership with 2 main Israeli defenCe companies to study ways of combating the COVID-19 epidemic.

The settlement, declared late Thu., comes just weeks after the UAE alerted Israel that proceeding with its scheduled annexation of parts of the occupied West Bank would upend its measures to enhance ties with Arab states.

G42, an Abu Dhabi-based firm specializing in artificial intelligence & cloud computing, signed a memorandum of understanding with Rafael & Israel Aerospace Industries, the UAE’s state-owned WAM press agency recorded.

It stated executives conducted a signing ceremony by video footage link (connection) between the 2 nations, that don’t have diplomatic relations.

Rafael & IAI’s Elta subsidiary affirmed the settlement. Elta, that specializes in sensors, radars, electronic warfare & communication systems, stated they’d cooperate on study & technology focused on artificial intelligence, sensors & lasers.

They stated the collaboration wouldn’t only benefit the 2 nations, however the overall globe as it grapples with the epidemic.

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, who’s vowed to annex all of Israel’s West Bank settlements along with the strategic Jordan Valley, had declared an settlement with the UAE a week back, without offering specifics.

Only 2 Arab nations, Jordan & Egypt, have made peace with Israel, with the rest informing it should 1st resolve the conflict with the Palestinians. However Israel has quietly enhanced ties with Gulf nations in previous yrs., in part due to their own revealed issues regarding Iran.

In previous weeks, Sr. UAE authorities have alerted that annexation would jeopardize those enhanced ties, however have also recommended that the 2 nations can set aside their own political disputes to collaborate on humanitarian & different projects.

President Donald Trump’s Middle East schedule, that overwhelmingly favours Israel & has been refused by this Palestinians, would permit Israel to annex as many as 30% of the West Bank, that it occupied within the 1967 war with east Jerusalem & the Gaza Strip. The Palestinians need all 3 territories to form their own future state.

The U.N., European & Arab nations have alerted Israel over annexation, that is popularly witnessed as a violation of Intl. law that would dash any rest hopes of approaching a two-state resolution to the conflict.

Crowd 42, also called G42, is commanded by CEO Peng Xiao. He formerly ran Pegasus, a subsidiary of DarkMatter, a cybersecurity company based within the UAE that has recruited Western intelligence agents.

From late 2016, Dubai(AE-DU) police have partnered with Pegasus to utilize its big statistics application to pool hours of surveillance video footage to track anybody within the emirate. D

DarkMatter’s hiring of previous CIA & Domestic Security Agency analysts has rised issues, specially as the UAE has annoyed & imprisoned person rights activists.