Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday offered his condolences to the United Arab Emirates over the death of Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the younger brother of UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Dubai ruler Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
“On behalf of the people of Israel, I send my sympathies to his family and the people of the United Arab Emirates,” Netanyahu wrote on X. “May his family find comfort and strength at this difficult time.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu:
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) September 22, 2026
I extend my condolences to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and the Al Maktoum family on the passing of Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum of Dubai.
On behalf of the people of Israel, I send my sympathies to his family and the…
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid earlier on Tuesday also extended his sympathy.
“My sincere condolences are with the people and leaders of the United Arab Emirates,” Lapid wrote. “The people of Israel mourn with our friends in the United Arab Emirates.”
My sincere condolences are with the people and leaders of the United Arab Emirates on the passing of Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The people of Israel mourn with our friends in the United Arab Emirates https://t.co/6WWn6bm0kd
— יאיר לפיד - Yair Lapid (@yairlapid) September 22, 2026
Earlier this month, Mohamed bin Zayed, president of the UAE, met in Abu Dhabi with Yehuda Kaploun, a rabbi and the U.S. State Department’s special envoy for monitoring and combating antisemitism, a diplomatic source told JNS.
The U.S. special envoy also met with other rulers and senior government officials, the source said. Specific details were unavailable.
Deputy Emirati Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdullah bin Zayed met with Kaploun in Washington in February. The Emirati Ministry of Foreign Affairs said at the time that the 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.”
Last week, Mike Waltz, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, met with Gideon Sa’ar and Nasser Bourita, foreign ministers respectively of Israel and Morocco, in New York City to discuss “unlimited opportunities of the relations between the Kingdom of Morocco and the State of Israel,” the three countries stated jointly.
The three countries said that they met under the joint declaration that the trio made on Dec. 22, 2020, and that they were “undaunted by regional challenges” when they “reaffirm the spirit of the Abraham Accords and continue to believe the establishment of full diplomatic, peaceful and friendly relations between Morocco and Israel is in the common interest of both countries.”
