Israeli Dual-Citizenship Holders Banned from Entering UAE
Israeli dual citizenship holders will be banned from entering the United Arab Emirates, Dubai’s police chief announced.
Israeli citizens are not permitted to travel to the country. But Israeli citizens holding other passports do enter the country, mostly for business.
“We will not allow those who hold Israeli passports into the UAE no matter what other passport they have,” Dubai Police Chief Lt. Gen. Dahi Khalfan Tamim said Monday.
In the past, he said, “We knew Israelis from their accents, but when they used European passports to come here, we accepted that and we treated them as Europeans. But after this day, if they have dual citizenship, we will exert extreme caution.
“We know how to recognize them,” Tamim explained, saying his officials would be on the lookout for “Jews” and would identify them by “physical features and the way they speak.”
Israelis have been admitted to the UAE in recent years for specific reasons, including sports competitions and a recent energy conference.
The sanctions come as Dubai insists that it is 99 percent sure that Israel’s Mossad security agency was behind the assassination in a Dubai hotel room of a top Hamas official at the end of January. The assassins used forged passports from five European countries to enter Dubai.
I’m personally matching all gifts to the Forward, up to $36,000. Can I match your gift now?
Hello, fellow Forward reader! I’m Joel Brown, a Forward reader and supporter for more than 15 years, and currently the chair of the board of directors.
I’m an avid Forward reader because it ticks so many of my essential boxes: excellent journalism, Jewish focus and diverse viewpoints. In today’s political climate, what I most appreciate is the Forward’s independence — made possible by the generosity of its membership.
The Forward is committed to bringing you unbiased, nuanced Jewish news. From my position as board chair, I see an exciting future as we expand our position as the definitive independent voice of contemporary American Judaism.
— Joel Brown, Forward board chair
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
