The Abraham Accords signed by the UAE, Bahrain and Israel in 2020 broke a barrier between Arabs and Israelis, which is reflected in the rapid growth of the Jewish community in the Emirates since then, a senior rabbi told The National.
The deal signed in Washington on September 15 three years ago established ties between Israel and parts of the Arab world.
“The Abraham Accords broke an artificial barrier and allowed the normal commingling together and certainly we have had so many gatherings of Jews and Arabs and Muslims, even in our community centre, synagogues and our place of worship,” Dr Elie Abadie, a senior rabbi in the Association of Gulf Jewish Communities, told The National.
The association was established in 2021 to serve the Jewish populations in the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and Saudi Arabia.
"We are rekindling and rediscovering how to speak each other. And we have found, as I said – not me, personally, because I have lived here before, but for many people – they have found this kinship, this closeness again, theologically, socially, culturally and historically," he said.
Dr Abadie was born in Lebanon in 1960 to Syrian parents from a Jewish community that had lived in the country since the 1940s.
"You know, having been born and raised in Lebanon, I lived that life before and to me, it was just rekindling all the old traditions," he said.
"This has been a great plus for humanity."
The UAE had fewer than 200 Jewish residents at the time the accords were signed, but the numbers have increased more than fivefold, Dr Abadie said.
“Before the Abraham Accords, when I visited the UAE twice, and then [when] I came as the senior rabbi, the Jewish community numbered less than 200 people. Now, I would estimate it to be probably around 1,200 to 1,500 people that we know,” he said.
“There might be many more that we don't know about."
The Jewish community in the UAE previously used makeshift synagogues, but now have five places of worship – two in Abu Dhabi, including the synagogue at the Abrahamic Family House, and three in Dubai.
Between Dubai and Abu Dhabi there are at least seven kosher restaurants that have opened in the past three years, as well as several supermarkets that comply with the dietary restrictions of Judaism.
"These are very tangible changes that have supported and have made life for a Jewish community very welcoming and much easier so that they could feel at home," Dr Abadie said.
The UAE is a very welcoming country where "all what a human being would want and would need and would desire is present", he said.
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Scoreline
Abu Dhabi Harlequins 17
Jebel Ali Dragons 20
Harlequins Tries: Kinivilliame, Stevenson; Cons: Stevenson 2; Pen: Stevenson
Dragons Tries: Naisau, Fourie; Cons: Love 2; Pens: Love 2
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
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• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
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Greatest Royal Rumble results
John Cena pinned Triple H in a singles match
Cedric Alexander retained the WWE Cruiserweight title against Kalisto
Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt win the Raw Tag Team titles against Cesaro and Sheamus
Jeff Hardy retained the United States title against Jinder Mahal
Bludgeon Brothers retain the SmackDown Tag Team titles against the Usos
Seth Rollins retains the Intercontinental title against The Miz, Finn Balor and Samoa Joe
AJ Styles remains WWE World Heavyweight champion after he and Shinsuke Nakamura are both counted out
The Undertaker beats Rusev in a casket match
Brock Lesnar retains the WWE Universal title against Roman Reigns in a steel cage match
Braun Strowman won the 50-man Royal Rumble by eliminating Big Cass last
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