Israel and UAE film industries to cooperate following normalisation deal

Israel and UAE film industries to cooperate following normalisation deal
Film agencies in Israel and the United Arab Emirates have announced an agreement to cooperate on television production, in the latest development following the signing of a deal normalising ties.
2 min read
21 September, 2020
Israel and the UAE signed a normalisation deal in Washington on September 15 [AFP]

Film agencies in Israel and the United Arab Emirates announced an agreement on Monday to collaborate on television production, the latest development to follow a U.S.-brokered deal between the countries to normalise relations.

The Abu Dhabi Film Commission, an Emirati government agency, said it reached an understanding with the Israeli Film Fund and a Jerusalem film school seeking to strengthen commercial ties through training programs for film and television co-production and joint film festivals.

As part of the agreement, Emirati students will be flown to Jerusalem to study at Israel’s Sam Spiegel Film and Television School.

Read also: BDS calls to boycott campaign by Arab-Israeli vlogger Nas Daily citing 'normalisation agenda'

The film agencies hailed the agreement as a way to deepen “cultural understanding” between the countries.

The United Arab Emirates, along with Bahrain, signed agreements to establish full diplomatic ties with Israel at a White House ceremony last week.

The UAE's move to take long-covert economic ties with Israel public has already generated a dizzying series of commitments to cooperate in numerous fields.

Palestinians have called the UAE’s and Bahrain’s normalisation deals with Israel a ‘betrayal’ and a ‘stab in the back’ which effectively allow Israel to continue its occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem and siege of Gaza and prevent the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

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