Jacob Herzog is loudly trying to build Jewish life in a country where non-Islamic displays are forbidden, raising concerns among local Jews who prefer to stay under the radar
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Ilan Ben Zion, a reporter at the Associated Press, is a former news editor at The Times of Israel. He holds a Masters degree in Diplomacy from Tel Aviv University and an Honors Bachelors degree from the University of Toronto in Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations, Jewish Studies, and English.
In this Oct. 18, 2020 photo, a menorah used during the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah is seen during a visit by an Israeli delegation to the Jewish Community Synagogue of Bahrain, in Manama, Bahrain. (Ronen Zvulun/Pool Photo via AP)
AP Half a year after the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain established diplomatic relations with Israel, discreet Jewish communities in the Gulf Arab states that once lived in the shadow of the Arab-Israeli conflict are adopting a more public profile.
Thousands of Israelis flock to UAE
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January 1, 2021
DUBAI: It was a scene that just a few months ago would have been unthinkable. As Emiratis in flowing white robes and headdresses looked on, the Israeli bride and groom were hoisted on the shoulders of skullcap-wearing groomsmen and carried toward the dance floor, where dozens joined the throng swaying and singing in Hebrew, international media reported on Thursday.
Noemie Azerad and Simon David Benhamou didn’t just throw a somewhat normal wedding bash in the middle of a pandemic that has shut down their country and ravaged the world. They were reveling in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, which like most of the Arab world had been off-limits to Israeli passport holders for decades. The pair was among tens of thousands of Israelis who had flocked to the UAE in December after the two countries normalised ties in a breakthrough US-brokered deal.
Unthinkable a few months ago, Israelis find new playground in Dubai orissapost.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from orissapost.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Israelis are openly enjoying the glitz of Dubai after a US-brokered peace deal allowed them to travel there for the first time in decades.
In scenes that would have been unthinkable just a few months ago, an Israeli bride and groom were pictured hoisted on the shoulders of skullcap-wearing groomsmen and carried toward the dance floor, where dozens joined the throng swaying and singing in Hebrew.
Noemie Azerad and Simon David Benhamou didn t just throw a somewhat normal wedding bash in the middle of a pandemic that has shut down their country and ravaged the world.
They were reveling in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, which like most of the Arab world had been off-limits to Israeli passport holders for decades.