WASHINGTON — The United Arab Emirates lays into Israel over this week’s Jerusalem Flag March, characterizing it as an “annual spectacle of unchecked violence and extremist provocation” and issuing a rare warning against Israel if Jerusalem doesn’t take “decisive steps” against the phenomenon.
“It is utterly unfathomable that, amid the ongoing carnage in Gaza, the Israeli government — underscored by the presence of one of its ministers — continues to permit” the flag march an Emirati official tells The Times of Israel in a statement issued shortly after Abu Dhabi summoned Israel’s ambassador to the Gulf country for a rare reprimand.
It was the second time an Israeli envoy has ever been summoned by Emirati authorities and the first time since the war in Gaza began. A second source familiar with the matter told The Times of Israel that the meeting at the Emirati foreign ministry saw the harshest rebuke that Abu Dhabi has ever conveyed to an Israeli official.
The Emirati anger was particularly notable, given that the country has differentiated itself from Israel’s other Arab allies, who have downgraded ties in various ways amid the war. While it has limited some public demonstrations of the relationship, the UAE has kept its ambassador in Tel Aviv, maintained daily flights to Israel and even boosted economic cooperation.
But the scenes at Monday’s flag march appear to have been too much for Abu Dhabi to quietly accept.
Hundreds, if not thousands of young religious nationalist participants were filmed chanting racist slogans such as “death to Arabs” and “may your village burn” as they marched through the Muslim Quarter of the Old City.
Participants verbally harassed and physically assaulted Palestinian locals. Revelers also vandalized property, though they made an exception for a number of ATMs that had signs on them explaining to participants that they belonged to Jews.
A far-right group participating in the march even unfurled a banner calling for the mass expulsion of Palestinians in Gaza. Several far-right ministers participated in the march, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to participants at a ceremony capping off the event.
Israel’s police commissioner said that no arrests were made and that only a small number of participants were briefly detained, claiming that those misbehaving made up only one percent of revelers.
No government officials condemned the scenes that have become commonplace at the annual flag march.
“This is not an isolated incident. It happens every year, and year after year, they allow it to unfold without consequence,” the Emirati official says.
“We have made clear — in no uncertain terms — that we expect them to take decisive steps to put an end to this.”
“They would do well to take that expectation extremely seriously,” the official warns.
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