Israel’s National Security Council (NSC) has warned Israelis traveling to or residing in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to be vigilant about potential retaliatory attacks.
The international community has been expressing strong disapproval towards Israel due to its ongoing genocide in Gaza, where Palestinian residents are being starved and killed.
In 2020, the UAE established diplomatic relations with Israel under the Abraham Accords. Since then, the Jewish population in the UAE has significantly increased. The UAE is considered one of the safest countries in the Middle East.
On July 31, a statement from extremist Israeli groups claimed that due to Israel’s actions in the Middle East, groups like Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah want to attack Israelis. The statement also mentioned a desire for retaliation against Israel’s preemptive terrorist attack on Iran in June.
The NSC statement said that past experience shows that enemies target Israelis outside of Israel, in neighboring countries. Therefore, Israel considers an attack in the UAE likely.
The NSC’s travel alert for the UAE urged Israelis to avoid non-essential travel to the country and to reconsider any planned trips.
Since October 7, 2023, over 60,000 people have been killed in Israel’s aggressive attacks on Gaza. In June, Israel also attacked Iran, claiming to target nuclear facilities. Israel continues to launch numerous attacks against the Houthis in Yemen and also attacks Syria.
