Israeli Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter said in a video published on Sunday that he feels more at ease wearing a kippah in Abu Dhabi than in some European cities.
In a conversation with Emirates-based influencer Loay Alshareef at the Israeli Embassy in Washington, Leiter said, “The level of acceptance and [the reverence for] ideas ... I sat with real thinkers in Abu Dhabi, and it was such a wonderful experience.”
Leiter said that he had spoken with Emiratis about the Bible, as well as current events and how Israel and the United Arab Emirates can collaborate “to make the world a better place.”
He added, “That’s what we’re all about. At the end of the day, what are we here for if not to make the world a better place. And more, we can do it together and stop fighting with each other.”
Alshareef told the Israeli diplomat that “if you really rely on God he can make all the impossible things possible, and this is what we share as Muslims and Jews, in our faith in God. We have so many things in common, and this is the beauty of the Abraham Accords: to bring Arabs and Israelis, Muslims and Jews closer. And with [God’s] help, Inshallah, [the accords] will expand.”
The Arab influencer wrote on X, “The ambassador shared how his favorite passages connect deeply to the vision of the Abraham Accords and to a future Middle East where Muslims and Jews walk side by side.”
He further thanked Leiter for hosting him at the embassy, adding “This is the kind of dialogue we need more of in our region.”
Watch the two men’s exchange below.
🚨 The Israeli Ambassador to Washington: “I feel more at ease wearing a kippah in Abu Dhabi than I do in some European cities.”
— Loay Alshareef لؤي الشريف (@lalshareef) November 16, 2025
I had the pleasure of engaging in a deep and scholarly discussion with Ambassador @yechielleiter at the Israeli Embassy in Washington.
We spoke about… pic.twitter.com/CTuLGBNXdA
