History of The Jews in Arabia - History of The Jews in The United Arab Emirates

History of The Jews in The United Arab Emirates

In recent years the United Arab Emirates has adopted an anti-Zionism policy to Jewish academics as a result of Israel's perpetual state of conflict with the Arab world and authors from other countries who may have had to come to its territory."

In July 2000, the Harvard Divinity School accepted $2.5 million from the ruler of the United Arab Emirates, Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. In 2002, the Zayed Center published a report on the Holocaust that said Zionists—not Nazis—"were the people who killed the Jews in Europe." The United States Department of State stated that the center published some books with themes such as "The Zionist Movement and its Animosity to Jews" and "Al Buraq Wall, Not Wailing Wall." It also allowed some anti-Zionsim language on its website, and hosted some speakers who promoted anti-Zionism views.

Despite such strong prejudices, there have some new diplomatic openings to the US, Israel and Jews by the United Arab Emirates as reported in the media. In an article in USA Today Arabs try outreach to Israel, U.S. Jews, 2007, it is reported that: " Arab states, led by Saudi Arabia, are making some of their most public overtures ever to Israel and American Jews in an effort to undercut Iran's growing influence, contain violence in Iraq and Lebanon and push for a Palestinian solution...Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have stepped up contacts with Israel and pro-Israel Jewish groups in the USA.