I think most of us can remember where we were when we heard the breaking news about the UAE normalizing relations with Israel. Like any historic event, it tends to be etched into memory.
Two years ago, everything was about intent and planning. Now, we have tangible accomplishments that have happened as a result of that initial intent.
Everything from more countries signing up to the accords, increased trade, and tourism that added life to an industry starved during the darker days of the pandemic, to the sharing of knowledge and technology in a plethora of areas of mutual interest, and a more interesting dimension – people who had never met, simply discovering more about one another.
One of the by-products of the accords that interests me is the emergence of these small changes that are visible on a daily basis, and in some cases are so beautifully mundane that they have simply become ‘the norm’.
For example, seeing an Israeli tourist play a game at a promotional booth for one of the country’s largest banks, with his name emblazoned on the big LED screen behind – Emirates NBD welcomes ‘Menachem’.
Browsing in a supermarket and seeing Israeli pomegranates for sale.
Waiting in line at Costa Coffee and seeing in big Hebrew letters ‘Aubergine and Hummus Salad’ on the side of one of the pots in the fridge, and then a Kosher Reuben sandwich on the shelf below.
Seeing ads with Hebrew language copy next to the Arabic logo of the UAE’s number one brand, Emirates, all along the Ayalon Highway and on national TV, plus the fact that in just over a month after airline’s first flight to Tel Aviv, it announced plans to add a second daily flight operating from Tel Aviv starting on 30 th October which gives inbound and outbound customers greater flexibility, especially when flying to/from Australia, India and parts of the Far East. Customers flying to/from the USA or South America can combine two destinations in one trip and stopover in Dubai on their way to/from Tel Aviv.
When I first moved here in 2006, these small things would have been unthinkable. And now look where we are, it’s here, very public, and no one bats an eyelid – that’s the sign of normalization being normal.
For about a year now, I’ve been wearing a kipa full-time. Now, this isn’t me becoming more observant, but basically I came upon a realisation that it’s a conversation starter. Purely because a few times I’d left services and forgotten to take it off, and happily gone about my business around town, and on occasion, people would ask me questions.
The fact that this small bit of crotchet prompted these questions, (and me being able to answer them) while probably being the first Jew these people have spoken to, made me realize it’s worth keeping it on because these conversations are essential when it comes to people getting a better understanding of each other.
These chats have been everything from people asking what the religious significance is, how I feel as an Israeli new to Dubai – (it tends to blow minds when I say I’m not Israeli and lived here for quite a while), what is Kosher all about, explain why these people wear this and others wear that.. honestly the list is endless.
My favorite story is that of a lift conversation with a mother and her son in my building. I got into the lift first and held the door open for them. The little boy said to his mother in Arabic ‘what does he have on his head’, she replied ‘why don’t you ask him’… so I turned around and in my rusty Arabic said to him ‘I wear this because I’m Jewish’.
She looked at me, stunned for a second, and then continued the conversation – ‘ahh you’re from Israel of course’, to which I said ‘no, I’m British’ – and unlike others I’ve had similar conversations with, I was asked – ‘so Jews can come from other places than Israel?’ – to which I said, ‘most certainly, this is my floor – nice to meet you and hopefully see you again sometime’.
A pretty ordinary conversation, but I was the first Jew she had met, and now by some trick of fate, our schedules match and I often see them in the lift in the morning, and we continue the conversation. It’s made me realize I need to do some work on my Arabic, but for me, it will be worth the investment because this is an additional way that normalization becomes the norm.
Simply by spending time with and talking to one another we can hopefully dispel a few myths along the way, change our view of each other and discover the common humanity beneath the labels.
