UAE under fire for celebrating Israel's 'Independence Day' despite assault on Palestinians

The United Arab Emirates came under heavy criticism for celebrating Israel’s so-called Independence Day last week, despite Israeli assault on Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Israel refers to the Palestinian Nakba as its own Independence Day. The Nakba - Arabic for catastrophe, and commemorated on 15 May – saw over 750,000 Palestinians forcefully expelled from their homes by violent Zionist militias, to ensure the creation of Israel in 1948.

For the first time since normalising relations in 2020 as part of a controversial deal dubbed the Abraham Accords, the UAE hosted Israeli officials and artists to celebrate the event on 5 May.

We were delighted to host our first #Israel Independence Day 🇮🇱 in the #UAE 🇦🇪
Here is a small taste of our celebration 🎉@HayekAmir @IsraelMFA @MoFAICUAE pic.twitter.com/OhCvLcSMRk

— Israel in the UAE (@israelintheUAE) May 5, 2023

Videos resurfaced this week on social media platforms as users expressed shock and anger with the Arab nation for hosting such an event despite ongoing Israeli aggression against Palestinians.

Israeli singer Nicole Raviv sang alongside an Emirati singer. She posted a video captioned "Children of Abraham come together." The national anthems of both countries were also sung.

Children of Abraham come together 🥹@Ahmadalhusani @IsraelMFA @israelintheUAE @HayekAmir @AmbAlKhaja #abrahamaccords #Israel75 #UAE pic.twitter.com/H0z9PQYwsW

— Nicole Raviv (@thenicoleraviv) May 5, 2023

Only a few days after the event, Israeli airstrikes and shelling began pounding the Gaza Strip, killing both civilians and commanders from the Islamic Jihad Movement.

A truce came into effect on Saturday through mediation efforts. At least 33 Palestinians were killed in the violence, including children. One Israeli died in retaliatory rocket fire from Gaza.

Israeli forces also continued to raid, arrest and kill Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

People took to Twitter to slam the UAE over the move.

"Shortly after Israel celebrates "Independence Day" in the UAE, the Zionist state starts bombing Palestine," one Twitter user wrote.

Shortly after Israel celebrates "Independence Day" in the UAE, the Zionist state starts bombing Palestine.

Any comment from Faris al-Hammadi?

Are you going to blame the Palestinians for their own deaths again? pic.twitter.com/9sASYTbVHt

— Daniel Haqiqatjou (@Haqiqatjou) May 13, 2023

"Israel recently held its first ever independence day celebrations in the UAE, all happening while Palestinians are killed in raids daily in the West Bank and women and children are bombed in Gaza. Nothing less than expected from the snakes in the UAE."

Israel recently held its first ever independence day celebrations in the UAE, all happening while Palestinians are killed in raids daily in the West Bank and women and children are bombed in Gaza. Nothing less than expected from the snakes in the UAE. pic.twitter.com/Yoo7Lo9Meq

— muslim daily (@muslimdaily_) May 13, 2023

"Cooperating with the Zionists is a betrayal to the nation and religion," wrote one Twitter user in Arabic, with a hashtag that read "Israel is targeting the Arabs from the Emirates."

التعاون مع الصهاينية خيانة للأمة وللدين#إسرائيل_تستهدف_العرب_من_الإمارات pic.twitter.com/2d5jOBd19j

— رنــــا يوسف (@rana_you1) May 4, 2023

Israel has said it wants to expand on the Abraham Accords, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has expressed his desire to normalise ties with regional powerhouse Saudi Arabia.

Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan were three other Arab countries which also inked the 2020 US-sponsored accords.