UAE Foreign Minister Wishes World Jewry a ‘Shana Tova’

Signs of normalization between Israel and the other Gulf states are also evident.

By United with Israel Staff

United Arab Emirates Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdullah Bin Zayed tweeted “Shana Tova” (Happy New Year) to Jews worldwide who were celebrating the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashana this week.

The tweet drew the ire of many of his Twitter followers, who are saying that the gesture symbolizes normalized relations with Israel.

For example, according to Palestinian journalist Dr. Adnan Abu Amer, “When people congratulate their Jewish cousins ​​on the Jewish New Year, their chivalry has reached its peak.”

Although the UAE does not have official diplomatic ties with Israel, some recent activity has shown that a softening attitude towards the Jewish state is in the making.

For the first time in history, the Israeli Judo team participated in the 2018 Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Judo tournament under the banner of the Israeli flag, and the Israeli national anthem was played when Israeli Judoka Sagi Muki won the gold medal. Culture and Sports Minister Miri Regev attended the event.

Just last week the planned construction of the first official synagogue in the UAE was announced, and in 2015 an Israeli mission office was opened in Abu Dhabi.

Signs of normalization between Israel and the other Gulf states are also being seen.

According to a report by the U.K.-based Arab paper Al-Arabi Al-Jadid, Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is encouraging the Arab world to resolve political differences with Israel and establish commercial ties with the Jewish State.

He has also stated publicly in an interview with The Atlantic that Israelis have a right to their own land.

Like Israel, Saudi Arabia sees Iran as a significant threat to the region and has reportedly been collaborating with Israel to combat the threat. Last year, Saudi Arabia acquired its first Iron Dome anti-rocket system from Israel.