One of the Jewish families that was forced to leave Yemen by the Houthis was exiled to the UAE, where the government there reunited them with relatives who moved to the UK some 15 years ago.
The story is heartwarming – but the UAE is using it for propaganda, as family members are quoted by the official Emirates News Agency:
"It was nothing short of a miracle and the realisation of an impossible dream. We thank the UAE for their great support in arranging the reunion. This is an example of the UAE’s humanitarian approach, as well as of its noble values of tolerance and coexistence," they stressed, adding that it is a model for the whole world to emulate.
The father of the family said after meeting his children: "I feel as if I were reborn today. I am so happy to have met all my children and grandchildren. I am also overjoyed to be in the UAE, the land of tolerance, coexistence and goodness."
Nobody talks that way.
The UAE also started a hashtag for the occasion, #UAEHomeOfHumanity, with its embassies throughout the world tweeting about this.
Is this meant to prime UAE residents for peace with Israel, or just to make the UAE look tolerant? At the same time as this reunion, a synagogue in the UAE officially opened for Shabbat services.
بكرة سوف تقام أول صلاة سبت في جزيرة العرب بعد إنقطاع طويل منذ تهجير اليهود في أربعينيات القرن الماضي من الخليج و ذلك في إفتتاح كنيس دبي اليهودي الكبير .. هللويا ✡️ pic.twitter.com/X3F56STQdb
— إيدي كوهين אדי כהן (@EdyCohen) August 7, 2020
Whether or not this was staged to promote the UAE’s tolerance, it is still remarkable that an Arab country is openly embracing Jews.
(h/t Yoel)