Israel extends ‘warmest wishes’ to Abu Dhabi in honor of UAE Flag Day

Israeli Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates Yossi Shelley on Tuesday sent the Jewish state’s “deepest respects and warmest wishes” to the Gulf nation on the occasion of UAE Flag Day.

“Today, as the UAE flag is raised high across this remarkable nation, we celebrate the unity, visionary leadership, and enduring spirit of the Emirati people,” Shelley said in a message posted to X.

The flag represents “a bright future of peace, innovation and shared prosperity,” he said, adding, “May this flag always fly high as a symbol of hope and stability for our entire region.”

Flag Day marks the anniversary of the late President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan taking office in 2004. It also honors the UAE’s founding fathers.

Sheikh Khalifa was president in 2020 when Abu Dhabi normalized ties with Israel under the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords.

UAE participates in forum on antisemitism

Last month, a representative of the UAE participated for the first time in an international forum on combating antisemitism in Dublin, according to the World Jewish Congress (WJC).

Maqsoud Kruse, the UAE foreign minister’s envoy for countering extremism and terrorism, joined officials and Jewish community leaders at the gathering. The WJC organized the forum in partnership with the European Commission.

In September, a diplomatic source told JNS that Emirati President Mohamed bin Zayed had met in Abu Dhabi with Yehuda Kaploun, a rabbi and the U.S. State Department’s special envoy for monitoring and combating antisemitism.

Kaploun was seen leaving the leader’s residence.

Emirati Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed also met with Kaploun in Washington in February.

The Emirati Foreign Ministry said at the time that the Washington meeting focused on U.S.-UAE “strategic relations and addressed several issues of mutual concern, particularly initiatives aimed at advancing dialogue and tolerance, fostering a culture of coexistence and countering hate speech and extremism in all their forms.”

A member of the Abraham Accords, the UAE says that it has a “longstanding approach of promoting tolerance and human fraternity” and “attaches special importance to supporting international initiatives aimed at combating antisemitism.”