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Aug. 29 (UPI) -- United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed issued a decree Saturday to abolish a 1972 boycott law against Israel. Zayed's announcement comes 48 hours before an Israeli delegation was expected to arrive in Abu Dhabi for talks on the U.S.-brokered deal to normalize relations between Israel and the UAE. The deal includes Israel suspending its efforts to annex parts of the West Bank.
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The 1972 boycott law banned business dealings between the UAE and Israel, but under Saturday's decree, it's now permissible to exchange or possess Israeli goods and products of all kinds in the UAE.
"Individuals and companies in the UAE may enter into agreements with bodies or individuals residing in Israel or belonging to it by their nationality, in terms of commercial, financial operations, or any other dealings of any nature," according to the new decree.
Though the boycott law was in the UAE's books for decades, there was still informal trade and business ties between the nations, including at least 500 such deals in the past 20 years, Israeli officials said.
Earlier this month Turkey and Iran denounced the normalization of ties between Israel and the UAE, saying the Persian Gulf state has abandoned Palestinians in their fight for a homeland.
Palestinian protesters burned pictures of President Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Abu Dhabi crown prince during a protest on Aug. 18 against the U.S.-brokered deal to normalize relations between Israel and the UAE in southern Gaza.
