5,000 People Have Obtained Its Nationality; How Has the UAE Become a Haven for Israelis?

The "real" threads of normalization are beginning to unfold more, and over time they are clearly showing their "deadly cancer" to the Arab nation, especially after media leaks confirming the UAE's naturalization of thousands of Israelis surfaced.

In early July 2021, citing unnamed reliable sources, “Emirates Leaks” revealed that some 5,000 Israelis had acquired UAE citizenship in the past three months, following an amendment to citizenship laws. 

The site quoted sources who had seen "documents" stating that Israelis were receiving UAE citizenship under the cover of investment, particularly in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

On January 30, 2021, the UAE amended the Citizenship Act, allowing it to grant citizenship to investors, scientists, artists and others, while allowing them to retain their original nationality.

The decree came five months after the signing of the Abu Dhabi-Tel Aviv normalization agreement on August 13, 2020, amid widespread public and Arab rejection and accusations of treason against the Palestinian cause.

Since the official normalization, Israel and the UAE have signed 12 agreements, the most recent of which was signed between the UAE and Israeli foreign ministers on June 30, 2021, according to an Israeli foreign ministry spokesman.

Zionist Invasion

On February 2, 2021, the charge d'affaires of the Israeli Embassy in Abu Dhabi, Eitan Naieh, said that some 130,000 Israelis had visited the UAE since the signing of the normalization agreement on September 27, 2020.

In an interview with the official Emirates News Agency (WAM), Naieh predicted that some 50,000 Israelis would visit the UAE each month, and that the numbers would increase as the Corona epidemic declined.

On December 14, 2020, the Washington Post confirmed that 50,000 Israeli tourists had visited the UAE in just two weeks.

On December 17, 2020, Israeli Tourism Minister Orit Farkash said 50,000 people attended the Jewish Festival of Lights (Hanukkah) celebrations in the UAE.

UAE sources confirmed on July 2, 2021, that Dubai authorities planned to grant Israeli singer Omir Adam gold residency, as part of her recent changes to the residency system.

Adam had previously received a letter on August 17, 2020 from a prince, which included an invitation to visit and sing in the UAE after the signing of the peace agreement between the two countries, Israeli sources said.

The Israeli singer travelled to Dubai and has already sung on November 21, 2020 and appeared in a controversial photo with Egyptian actor Mohamed Ramadan.

On January 13, 2021, the UAE formally ratified the Visa Waiver Agreement for its citizens and Israelis, allowing Israelis to enter the UAE without visas.

 

Detailed for Israelis

The new UAE Citizenship Act required the purchase of a property to obtain citizenship under other easy conditions, which means that any Israeli investor can now obtain her nationality.

The law also allowed for the combination of Emirati and indigenous citizenship, which constitutes an appropriate environment and a "green light" for Israelis to settle in the UAE, crossing the Gulf and Arab countries without a visa.

Opponents therefore warned against Israelis using EMIRATI citizenship to buy real estate in the Gulf region, and considered the amendments to the citizenship law specifically detailed for them.

In a February 4, 2021 statement, Emirati oppositions described the amendments to the new citizenship law as a "gateway to the naturalization of Israelis."

They noted that naturalizations of foreigners, particularly Israelis, were "conducted in secret" heavily in the UAE, at a time when the country's indigenous people were between displaced, imprisoned and nationality withdrawn.

"There is a great fear that this law will be used to naturalize Zionists and mercenaries and use them in the army and security to oppress the Emirati and Arab peoples," they said.

They said the law is an "existential threat" because the UAE has a population of nearly 10 million, only 10 percent of whom are citizens, and naturalization will increase the number of foreigners, including hostile nationalities such as Israelis.

The Hebrew newspaper Haaretz also admitted on February 1, 2021, that the UAE's ruling regime "targeted Israelis by amending laws granting state citizenship."

"Obtaining UAE citizenship is an opportunity for Israelis, not only to work in Abu Dhabi, but also to obtain citizenship that will enable them to visit countries they are prohibited from visiting," it said.

 

Emirati-Israeli!

The early link between the facilities of UAE citizenship law and normalization with Israel prompted Emirati supporters and opponents to warn of its seriousness, mocking that it would result in "an Emirati-Israeli citizen!"

UAE Crown Prince Abdul Khaleq Abdullah's advisor warned on June 30, 2021, that "the population landscape, which is being established for the next 50 years, will be dysfunctional and strange," without mentioning Israeli naturalization.

"Hundreds of people who have recently acquired UAE citizenship do not speak Arabic, and their children do not make an effort to learn it, have nothing to do with Islam, do not know the customs, traditions and values of the UAE, and have been given the right to retain their original nationality and we do not know how loyal they are to the state," Abdullah said.

Human rights activist Hamad al-Shamsi said the new law will give the "Israeli" UAE citizenship and become entitled to own property in all Gulf countries that treat the UAE as citizens of its countries.

"Will Saudi, Kuwaiti, Omani and Qatari be satisfied that they own (an Israeli) in their country using the UAE passport?" he said.

Israeli naturalized persons, such as a Gulf citizen, have the right to own and reside freely without requiring a fixed period in any State, and without restrictions on the areas in which they can move.

Al-Shamsi warned that the amendment to the UAE Citizenship Act, which was talked about by UAE Prime Minister Mohammed bin Rashid, was passed in conjunction with the law abolishing the boycott of Israel.

When the original decree amending the granting of citizenship was issued on August 27, 2020, Emirati activist Abdullah al-Taweel said that Israeli investors were allowed to naturalize UAE nationality, despite being withdrawn from seven Emirati nationals.

Since the signing of the Abu Dhabi-Tel Aviv Normalization Agreement, hundreds of Israeli businessmen have been working to own real estate in the UAE and invest in the naturalization law, which does not include any ban on their nationality.

 

The Israel of Arabs

UAE official actions since the official normalization with Israel have been characterized by "strong friendliness" and support for Tel Aviv economically and politically at the expense of Arab issues, especially Palestine, prompting Arab activists to call the UAE "Arab Israel" on social media platforms.

They said: The UAE serves Israeli interests economically, politically and militarily, by pursuing policies that clash with Arab interests and issues.

These UAE policies have emerged cooperatively with the occupying power, which is harmful to Arab countries following official normalization, exchange of visits, signing agreements and opening embassies and consulates in recent months.

Abu Dhabi has concluded agreements with Israel that harm Egypt, such as buying shares in the Eilat Ashkelon pipeline company to transport Gulf oil through Israel, not the Suez Canal.

Although it justified normalization by halting settlement settling, on the same day the occupation expelled The Palestinians of Silwan in Jerusalem from their homes.

The UAE also stood against the Palestinian resistance in the last Gaza war (May 2021), calling it "terrorist", and supported Ethiopia in favor of Israel, at Egypt's expense in the "GERD Dam" file.

Western reports confirm that the UAE's haste to normalize and sacrifice its interests with Arab countries in favor of normalization with Israel is due to economic reasons related to the collection of Arab money with Israeli technology, and political related to the search for Western and American support, especially behind normalization as the "gateway to regulations for the White House."

This was explained by a report by the German television site DW on August 23, 2020, stressing that the UAE has a lot of money that goes hundreds of billions of dollars a year to consume imported goods and security and military technologies.

On the other hand, Israel possesses a large part of these technologies through a diverse and superior production and technological base in more than one area, even globally. 

Tel Aviv is renowned for producing security, communications, espionage, medicine, energy, agriculture, technology and more equipment, where Israelis hope to market their highly competitive products through the UAE market, which gives them several advantages for their proximity and thirst for them.

Israelis also hope to invest more than half a billion dollars a year in the technology and tourism sectors as cooperation begins. 

The UAE is trying to attract more than 4 million Israeli tourists who travel abroad annually for their holidays, as they seek to take part in projects such as a railway linking Haifa port to the UAE, turning existing trade routes upside down, and strengthening Dubai and Abu Dhabi's role as financial and business hubs in the region.

What facilitates these joint investment projects and makes it easy to change laws, such as the Citizenship Act, is the control of Emirati businessmen and companies, which are largely linked to elites and families in control of power administratively and financially. 

These families are interested in economic cooperation with the Israeli side, motivated not only by financial benefits, but also by greater U.S., Israeli and Western political, military and technical support.

Emirati opponents say these ruling families "need this Western support in order to continue to suppress any individual or popular movement by political activists for freedoms."