WASHINGTON — The United Arab Emirates has strongly criticized Israel in connection with this week’s Jerusalem Flag March, labeling it an “annual display of unrestrained aggression and extremist provocation” and issuing a rare warning that Israel must take “definitive actions” to address this issue.
An Emirati official remarked to The Times of Israel, “It is completely incomprehensible that, in the midst of the ongoing devastation in Gaza, the Israeli government — highlighted by the attendance of one of its ministers — allows” the flag march to proceed. This statement came shortly after Abu Dhabi summoned the Israeli ambassador for an unusual reprimand.
This incident marks the second time that an Israeli envoy has been summoned by Emirati officials and the first occurrence since the onset of the conflict in Gaza. A separate source informed The Times of Israel that the conversation at the Emirati foreign ministry included the strongest criticism Abu Dhabi has ever directed towards an Israeli official.
The level of Emirati frustration is particularly significant given that the UAE has set itself apart from other Arab nations allied with Israel, many of whom have reduced diplomatic interactions during the conflict. Although the UAE has limited public expressions of its relationship with Israel, it has maintained its ambassador in Tel Aviv, continued daily flights to Israel, and even increased economic partnerships.
However, the events that transpired during this week’s flag march seem to have crossed a line for Abu Dhabi.
Videos showed hundreds, if not thousands, of young religious nationalists chanting inflammatory slogans like “death to Arabs” and “may your village burn” as they paraded through the Muslim Quarter of the Old City. Participants verbally attacked and physically assaulted local Palestinians, while some vandalized property, excluding certain ATMs with signs indicating they belonged to Jews.
A far-right group involved in the demonstration unfurled a banner advocating for the mass expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza. Several far-right ministers attended the event, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed participants during a ceremony concluding the march.
Israel’s police commissioner stated that no arrests were made, and only a few individuals were briefly detained, claiming that those misbehaving constituted just one percent of the overall participants.
No government representatives condemned the incidents that have become recurring features of the annual flag march.
“This is not an isolated event. It occurs every year, and time after time, it is allowed to happen without repercussions,” commented the Emirati official. “We have made it abundantly clear that we expect them to take decisive measures to bring this to an end.”
“They would do well to heed this expectation very seriously,” the official cautioned.