“The leadership in the UAE sees the Jewish community as an integral part of the country and they are committed to the safety of the Jewish community,” Liron Zaslansky, the consul general of Israel in Dubai, told JNS last week.
Since Oct. 7, 2023, and a few years into the accords that normalized relationships between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, Sudan and Kosovo, glitzy conferences and ceremonies have been replaced with quiet and trade.
After Oct. 7 and in the face of the murder of Chabad-Lubavitch emissary Rabbi Zvi Kogan, who went missing in the United Arab Emirates on Nov. 21, 2024, we made it a point to maintain dialogue, Zaslansky said.
“We kept an open-door policy and tried to build a sense of togetherness; we had Chanukah candle-lighting. We also had some delegations of American Jews like the AJC [American Jewish Committee]. We see ourselves also as a link to the Jewish world and not only Israel,” she said.
“Jewish life was a bit challenged, but the community feels taken care of and protected, and if you look at statements by government officials after the assassination of Rabbi Zvi, they condemned it as a crime against the UAE,” Zaslansky added.
Relations between the two countries are as strong as ever, albeit on the down low.
“Business ties are growing. Looking at the trade balance, we finished the year 2024 at $3.24 billion, excluding software and services, which is an increase of 11% compared to 2023,” Zaslansky said.
“Economic ties between our two countries are enhanced and still going. We saw the Israeli presence at a big food exhibition in Dubai [Gulfood 2025, held Feb. 17-21], with Israeli companies also participating. It is through economy and people that we grow relationships and make it sustainable,” she continued.
“We also launched a podcast of the consulate called Tech Twins to expose part of the Israeli ecosystem,” she added.
“Although there are disagreements, dialogue gives influence and it also allows humanitarian aid in Gaza to continue flowing,” Zaslansky said
“We saw on Oct. 7 that radical forces like Iran and proxies like Hezbollah and Hamas are trying to hurt the expansion of ties between Israel and the Arab world. Israel can have friendly relations with Arab countries side by side with disagreements on the Palestinian issue,” she continued.
“We will have to see, given the trends in the region, Hezbollah being much weaker, changes in Syria. We hope the region will accept a more moderate approach, the road to peace with Israel is opening,” she added.
However, tourism between the countries remains one-sided and travel from the UAE to Israel is mostly business-oriented, she said. Zaslansky’s work revolves around building ties between the two communities.
“We are trying to expose the local population to Israeli innovation, we are sending delegations to economic events in Tel Aviv in March for them to experience Israel,” she said.
“To understand Israel, you need to be there; we are sending people from all nationalities, not only Emiratis, to build mutual understanding. It’s important for locals to go and showcase to people here what they saw upon their return,” Zaslansky said.
