Between Dubai and Jerusalem: The Role of Religion
Of all the landmarks in Dubai, the most surprising is tucked away inside the Crossroads of Civilizations Museum. It houses the Arab world’s first Holocaust exhibition—a modest yet dense gallery filled with original historical artifacts. The quality of the displays makes one thing strikingly clear: someone here deeply grasps the importance of telling the Holocaust story in today’s Middle East.
That visionary is Ahmed Obaid Al-Mansoori, a former member of the UAE Federal National Council who personally founded the museum. Notably, Al-Mansoori led our delegation to the Holocaust display only after guiding us through an exhibit dedicated to the Jewish historical narrative. Through photographs of ancient synagogues, an original Herzl manuscript, and British Mandate maps, the museum clearly illustrates the deep, indigenous roots of the Jewish people in the region, affirming the idea that the State of Israel is the natural continuation of the Jewish nation.
“The story of the Holocaust is vital,” Al-Mansoori explained. “But it must be told after establishing that your connection to this land began thousands of years earlier. Otherwise, people fail to understand your profound belonging to the region.”
The tragedy of mutual misunderstanding became starkly apparent when a member of our delegation asked if visiting Israeli dignitaries frequented the museum. Al-Mansoori replied with palpable pain: “We invite everyone—Knesset members, government officials. Almost all of them reply, ‘We already know about the Holocaust.’ Don’t you see? If you don’t care, why should we?”
Beyond Interests: The Search for Shared Values
This encounter opened our five-day mission in the United Arab Emirates this summer. And the lessons we learned from it—particularly the need for Israel to embrace cultural ties in addition to statecraft as it navigates growing relationships with regional allies—are on my mind as we approach the sixth anniversary of the Abraham Accords. Taking these accords to the next level means much more than adding more countries to them. It means forging deeper connections with countries like the UAE that are based on values, religion and culture and not simply shared security or economic interests.
As a delegation of Israeli religious leaders dedicated to interfaith diplomacy, we met with civil society leaders, academics, influencers, and key policy architects, including Dr. Ali Rashid Al Nuaimi—a leading figure in Abu Dhabi and a principal architect of the Abraham Accords.
While Israel and the UAE stand together against common regional threats, our trip revealed the structural differences between our societies, and their different approaches to diplomacy.
Israeli political culture tends to separate statecraft from spiritual leadership; cold security interests from ideological values. In the UAE, the paradigm is inverted. The sovereign functions as a moral and educational figurehead, and its leadership actively seeks a discourse anchored in core principles. Emiratis often observe that while Israelis pride themselves on directness, in practice it frequently translates to a transactional mindset: “Let’s skip the talk and do business.” From an Emirati perspective, this is not merely cynical; it reflects a lack of cultural literacy. As Dr. Al Nuaimi emphasized to us: “Our alliance is not built on transactional interests, but on shared values—respect for human dignity, family, religious tolerance, and peace. The Abraham Accords were born from these values, not the other way around.”
The Essential Role of Faith Leadership
It is Israel’s traditional and faith-based sector that is uniquely positioned to bridge these gaps, and some from this community are already embracing this path. In order to increase this engagement, Israelis must understand that the expression of Islam in Abu Dhabi stands in stark contrast to political Islamist movements like the Muslim Brotherhood or the Iranian regime. Emiratis do not view themselves as religious reformers, but as custodians of authentic Islam, reclaiming their faith from extremist distortion. This is a society that is ready and eager to build ties with Israel and with Jews, and wants to do that from a place of respect.
If Israel desires a relationship with the Gulf that transcends the cool, purely strategic ties it has with Egypt or Jordan, it must embrace authentic people-to-people engagement rooted in these shared value systems. This starts with simple steps like visiting the Holocaust Museum in Dubai and respecting the investment made in such projects, as well as Israeli religious leaders pursuing and supporting discussions, projects and cooperations with Emiratis. Government diplomacy and tech deals are necessary, but insufficient. We need Israeli religious and community leaders to understand that their international role is as critical as their domestic one. Historically, Israel’s traditional and religious sectors have turned inward, harboring deep skepticism toward international diplomacy. The groundbreaking relationship with the UAE must serve as a turning point.
We are called to forge a new paradigm of Israeli-Jewish faith-based diplomacy—one that balances rooted national identity with humility, openness, and mutual respect.
Alongside the immense resources invested in combating security threats, we must double our commitment to building bridges and expanding partnerships. It is time for Israel’s faith leadership to step onto the international playing field and craft a contemporary diplomatic language rooted in Jewish identity, mutual learning, and a shared moral vision.
