The Scoop

Hanukkah Publicly Celebrated In Dubai For The First Time Since Trump’s Peace Deal

By • December 11, 2020 8:14 pm

Jews in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) celebrated the Hanukkah in public for the first time on Thursday, months after President Donald Trump brokered a peace deal between Israel and the Arab nation.

A “grand Hanukkah” celebration was reported at the foot of the 163-story Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the world’s tallest building which stands at 2,716.5 feet.

Jewish publication, Ami Magazine, reported the event and cited President Trump as the “peacemaker” who made the public celebration possible.

https://twitter.com/Ami_Magazine/status/1337409716864036865

“Celebrating Hanukkah in the UAE last evening for the first time outside the Burj Khalifa tower in Dubai. Thanks to the peacemaker@realDonaldTrump,” it said.

https://twitter.com/Ami_Magazine/status/1337478913983975427

Hanukkah also known as the “Festival of Lights” is a post-Biblical Jewish festival that celebrates the victory of the Jews in ancient Israel over the Syrian-Greek empire after religious Jews fought a rebellion against Hellenization and reclaimed the Holy Temple.

It is the only Jewish festival meant to be publicly held as much as possible, but such a celebration for a Jewish festival was not possible in the UAE, an Arab country, until the recent Abraham Accords initiated by the US under the Trump administration.

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1293922803419353088

Since then, Israel and UAE —  two of America’s most reliable and capable regional partners —  moved to normalize economic, cultural and trade relations and committed to join the United States to launch a Strategic Agenda for the Middle East to expand diplomatic, trade, and security cooperation in the region.

Jews in Dubai posted clips of the historic Hanukkah celebration in the UAE capital.

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE  both extended their appreciation to President Trump back then citing his “pragmatic, unique approach” to ensure both states reach an agreement.

Aside from the UAE, the US was also able to successfully broker a peace deal involving Israel and Bahrain which President Trump said “will mark the beginning of a new Middle East.”

The White House earlier said it took Israel at least 72 years to form its first two peace agreements, compared to the pace that the administration was able to help deliver new peace deals for the Middle East.

Back in September, the walls of the old city of Jerusalem were also lit to show the flags of the US, Israel, the UAE and Bahrain following the historic signing of the various peace accords — many Jews saying it is “unbelievable” to witness the different Middle Eastern countries coming together after decades of conflict.

Steeve Strange

Steeve is the CEO & Co-Founder of The Scoop.
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