During the judo championship, the Israeli anthem was played for the first time in Abu Dhabi.

The Israeli national anthem is played for the first time at a world judo championship in Abu Dhabi on Sunday in the Gulf emirate after an Israeli athlete won the medal d & # 39; gold.

The national anthem and the presence of Israeli Minister of Culture and Sports, Miri Regev, constitute one of the last stages of Israel to get closer to the Arab countries.

Israeli television broadcasting scenes showing Regev crying while performing the national anthem.

It's the first time that a minister and a sports mission from Israel are participating in a sporting event in the Gulf, Israeli officials said.

In July, the International Judo Federation warned the organizers that it would cancel the competition if it did not allow athletes, especially Israelis, to compete on an equal footing.

In 2017, Israeli judo athletes participated in this tournament, dressed in a neutral kimono, without the first letters of the name of their country. And played himself the national anthem after winning one of the gold medals, his play having been banned.

Before an Israeli athlete won the edition of this year's competition, Regev wrote on his Facebook page: "I am proud to be here in Abu Dhabi to represent Israel with the World Cup. judo team and teach us. "

"I hope to win the gold medal and live an exciting time by listening to the national anthem of the Abu Dhabi circuit," she said.

Regev's visit to the UAE, which began Thursday, coincided with a visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Oman, his neighbor. He was the first Israeli prime minister since 1996.