Humans have a short memory and that is the reason that the Tel Aviv-Dubai line has become a matter of routine. This is a place that until three years ago – when the diplomatic agreement with the United Arab Emirates was signed – we could not visit, and certainly not fly over Saudi Arabia on the way there. Today, flying to Dubai feels, for a few moments, like a king who has reached his kingdom.

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While sitting on the plane, between the heavens and the earth, on my way to Dubai, my eyes shifted between the plane window, through which I could see the desert soil, and the map on the plane screen, with names of cities and countries that are not accessible to Israelis, but which feel within touching distance: Shiraz or Kuwait, for example.

You can fly with Flydubai to the United Arab Emirates. The flight attendants are courteous, the company is punctual, and everything is very neat and clean – this is a recurring theme that characterizes Dubai throughout the trip. Even the public toilets located around the country are a model of cleanliness, and as soon as you leave the toilet, a cleaner comes and polishes the cubicle. You won't catch dysentery there.

Another recurring theme is wealth and innovation. You can already feel these at the airport, where you are greeted with shining marble floors and intimidating silver pillars, but the skyscrapers dotted around the city also seem to have been taken from New York, alongside innovative and first-of-a-kind museums.

The Emiratis have a high sense of customer service and think of everything. The airport has places to rent a "travel" stroller for a child who gets tired from the long walk around the enormous airport. In restaurants, the waiter refills your glass as soon as you start drinking from it, and everyone in the hotel smiles at you politely and wishes you "good morning" when you leave the room.

Good restaurants – and they are kosher

Good news for the Israeli public, many of whom keep kosher: throughout your stay in Dubai, you will find many options for delicious, varied, upscale – and kosher – food. My favorite restaurant in Dubai is Elli's Café – a gem of beauty and taste, with green plants hanging loosely from the wooden fences outside; a colorful wooden board that shows what is being served today, a stand to browse posters, as well as showcases with tempting pastries. The design is happy and chic, and so is the food.

We arrive there in the morning and within a flash, our table is filled with salads and fruit, omelets, pastries, croissants, Belgian waffles with strawberries, berries, and powdered sugar. Beyond the kosher food, the restaurant has taken the religious diner into consideration. You can find a "natla" (cup for ritual washing of the hands) and benchers, and even Koren "Tanachs," in a light green color that blends with the general design of the restaurant.

We enjoyed another wonderful meal at "The Kosher Place", which also featured a unique design, a sort of modern Arab décor, with a wooden floor and white, rounded windows with decorations. The meat was tender, and the seasoning had a "kick" as the flavor slowly opened in your mouth. As in all places, here too we were welcomed with open arms. The restaurant's chef is Shimon Ben Shetrit, an Israeli who arrived during the Covid pandemic, at a time when many restaurants around the world suffered financially.

"I worked in the culinary field in Germany for four years," he says. "At Chabad, they knew me and my food and realized that I understood the different kashrut requirements. When Dubai opened up, they contacted me. I didn't think twice and came to check the area. The culinary situation was lousy, and my adrenaline started to flow. I didn't sleep at night. I took charge of the catering, comprised a menu for deliveries, handpicked my staff, and scoured the city for a place for the restaurant."

Ben Shetrit has been on the Tel Aviv-Dubai line ever since. "We live on this line. My wife is in Israel, and every six weeks I go to Israel for a few days. During the [Jewish] holidays the whole family comes here. Over Passover, they were here for almost a month. My next dream is to open a hamburger joint and a dairy restaurant here."

While visiting the Armani Kaf kosher restaurant, located in Burj Khalifa, the tallest tower in the world, we met Rabbi Levi Duchman, the rabbi of the United Arab Emirates. "The Jewish community in Dubai has existed for ten years and there are Jews from all over the world, including Israel, living here," the rabbi, who within two years established the kashrut system in the region, says. "Hospitality is very important to the local residents," he adds, explaining that the kosher restaurants were established on their own initiative, "out of a desire for every Jew to have somewhere to eat."

The food at the Kaf is very luxurious – and is served in abundance. The place boasts quality meat, but what really caught our attention were actually the bread, which felt like a cloud in our mouth, and were served alongside a plethora of spreads and salads. The restaurant overlooks beautiful fountains, and every half hour there is a colorful and impressive fountain show, set to a classical French song.

Other kosher restaurants that should not be missed include Habibi Kosher Café, breakfast at the Hilton Garden Inn Hotel and at the V Hotel, located inside the Hilton Al Habtoor, as well as Rimon, a kosher supermarket where you can find any food your heart desires, and even order Shabbat catering there.

A super-sensory experience

Dubai has many attractions and the most desired of them all is the view from the roofs of the high towers of Dubai. It is recommended to go up to the Burj Khalifa and view the palm island (View at The Palm) – the view is breathtaking.

Another particularly unique attraction is a visit to the Aya complex – a huge area (3,700 square meters) divided into corners and rooms, each one activating the senses and telling visitors a different story. There is a room with mirrors where you can dance, a room where you can watch the stars, another room enabling a visit under the sea, and in another room, you can just lie on sofas next to colorful displays and listen to soothing music. Here you can wander between the rooms and meet yourself.

One of the most prominent sites in the city

The Museum of the Future is one of the most prominent sites in the city. The museum is located in a very unique and attractive building, due to its silver elliptical shape, with windows in the form of ornate Arabic script. A poem, about the future of humanity and the Emirates, is displayed on top of the building in a beautiful cursive script that is prominent both day and night.

A visit to the museum simulates a flight into space and displays how the world will look in a few decades; how we can easily reach space and take materials from it that will help all of humanity on Earth.

Let's go shopping

One of the issues that stresses Israelis most before traveling to Dubai are the high prices there, but it must be noted that in most places they are not much higher than in Israel, and you can also find bargains there.

For example, at the 1 to 10 Dirham Shops we found many deals – from clothing to jewelry, makeup, food, toys, and household items. I called it the "Max Stock of Dubai," because it carries the same concept. The store is close to the Dubai Frame – a huge golden frame from which you can see the entire city, also allowing visitors to take beautiful photos at the site. It is also worth visiting The Dubai Mall, one of the largest malls in the world, home to 1,200 stores.

Dreamy amenities

Regarding accommodation, Dubai has many hotels to offer to its guests. I stayed at the prestigious W Hotel Dubai, which includes beautiful and spacious rooms overlooking a magical view. The hotel is proud of its unique design elements and dreamy comfort facilities. It has a spa, a bar, and two Michelin-level Italian and Korean-Japanese (not kosher) restaurants. You walk around the hotel, the restaurants, and the various attractions and feel the wealth, wealth, and more wealth.

The author was a guest of Dubai's tourism board.

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The Abraham Accords, as well as being a cause for celebration, also raised the issue of Jews from Arab countries. Alongside the regional developments that followed the agreements, it seems that one of them is actually concealed in the past and could bolster efforts to repair an injustice in the narrative of Jews from Arab countries and Iran.

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Thousands of years of history of the million Jews who lived in Arab countries and Iran prior to Israel's founding vanished in a flash. Some had lived in the Middle East more than 2,500 years ago, long before the arrival of Islam.

The magnificent existence of the Jewish communities has also been pushed from the national consciousness, and while the claims of Palestinian refugees are familiar to many, few are aware of the existence of the problem of the Jewish refugees forced to leave the lands of their birth and who significantly shaped the face of the State of Israel.

'A terrible Injustice'

Less than a year before the signing of the Abraham Accords, Israel Hayom revealed the huge scope of property left behind by Jews from Arab countries, especially Jews from Iran, after they were expelled from their countries and moved to Israel. According to an initial and conservative estimate, the value of this property is around $150 billion – an extraordinary amount that reflects an especially tragic chapter in the history of Jews from Arab countries, which until recently has not been widely discussed in Israel.

For the first time, Israel is in possession of comprehensive data on this important issue. It is important to emphasize that today, just as in the past, there is a moral obligation to raise these issues in the international arena.

"A year ago, I made it my goal to also leverage the Abraham Accords in order to fix this terrible injustice at the UN – to advance recognition of the 850,000 Jewish refugees who were expelled from the Arab countries and from Iran," said Israeli Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan.

In an interview to Israel Hayom, Erdan said "the UN never did anything and didn't recognize the great injustice that was done to our brothers who were attacked, murdered, and whose property was plundered by the Arab countries who expelled them. I identified the signing of the Abraham Accords as a suitable occasion on which put the issue on the UN's daily agenda and to fix the situation in which the UN works only to assist the 'Palestinian refugees' and doesn't even recognize the pain and the suffering of the Jewish refugees."

Erdan notes that he has pushed this issue during the past year: "I raised it in many conversations with ambassadors and government figures from UN member states, and I worked to put the issue on the daily agenda," he says. Erdan also aims to work both for the restitution of Jewish refugees' property and recognition of their refugee status.

Nov. 29, 2022

One of the main events Erdan organized was a special demonstration outside the UN headquarters on Nov. 29, 2021, in response to the "Solidarity with the Palestinian People" conference that was held the same day in the UN General Assembly. The goal of the conference – which was attended by the president of the General Assembly, the president of the Security Council, and the Palestinian Authority envoy – was to strengthen support for "right of return" for Palestinians.

During the protest, Erdan sent trucks onto the streets of New York decorated with signs, and when they arrived at the UN headquarters, they displayed pictures of Jews expelled from Arab countries. The ambassador also attacked the UN for ignoring of the story of the expulsion of Jews and the plunder of their property.

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"The UN strengthens the false and dangerous narrative of the Palestinians," he declared. "In doing so it erases the Jewish history, distorts the truth and silences the tragic stories of the Jewish refugees – we won't allow it to cause their stories to be forgotten. On Nov. 29, the day on which the Jews' right to a state was recognized, and the day on which the Arabs and the Palestinians rejected the decision and tried to annihilate us – the UN dares to support only Palestinians and to promote the imaginary 'right of return' that would lead to the elimination of the Jewish State. What a disgrace!"

Utilizing all the platforms

"Since that moving day that I was privileged to be a part of, when on the White House lawn, the historic Abraham Accords were signed with Bahrain and the UAE, more than a year has passed," says Erdan. "We have managed to do so much: relations with the [Abraham Accords] countries have become closer with economic, cultural and strategic partnerships, and we have gone from being 'friends on paper' to becoming 'real friends.'

"Since then, I've held joint meetings and events with Abraham Accords countries, including one mark International Women's Day with the Moroccan ambassador to the United States, lighting Hanukkah candles with the Moroccan ambassador to the UN, planting a tree in honor of Earth Day with the Emirati ambassador to the United States – countries with whom we never dreamed we would achieve such intimacy."

But as far as a change in how Jews from Middle East countries are views, Erdan says "it's still not enough."

"Although I held the protest event and I have worked to raise awareness of the issue, I intend to fight more – it's just the beginning of the struggle," he says, promising he will "utilize all the platforms – including the General Assembly that will take place in June and the different meetings that will be part of it – in order to place this important issue on the daily agenda, and to put forward a significant resolution at the UN for recognizing the Jewish refugees from Arab countries and Iran."

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Which Gulf country will be next to normalize relations with Israel? Against the backdrop of the geopolitical changes in the region, and primarily the role of the Democratic government in the United States, it's still an open question. Either way, the very potential of broadening the normalization processes in the region creates questions and interest regarding who will be the "next in line."

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During preparation for this series of articles, I formed connections with a range of senior Jewish figures (and others) in other Gulf states. It's clear that, alongside their growing curiosity regarding the Abraham Accords, they are worried that they might be associated with this or that statement. In light of the sensitivity, preserving their feeling of personal security is more important than their being mentioned in relation to this issue.

And despite all this, an exception to this is a Jew who lives in Kuwait – for the purposes of the article, we'll call him Yosef – who agreed to be quoted and to pass on the spirit of his message. Immediately following the signing of the Abraham Accords, the leading Kuwaiti newspaper the Kuwait Times led with the message that the Gulf country would be the "last state" to normalize relations with Israel.

"From the media, I learned that the state's attitude towards Israel is different from mine," Yosef emphasized, "and you need to remember that over the years it has absorbed many Palestinian refugees, something that sharpens the complexity of the country's approach to Israel" [during the second half of the twentieth century Kuwait took in Palestinian foreign workers, including Yasser Arafat, who became Palestinian Authority chairman, as well as those from India and Egypt].

At the same time, he clarifies, "there is freedom of religion in Kuwait and they don't have a problem with Jews per se. Basically, it's not hard to be Jewish. The meat is Kosher according to the law and it's possible to live an Orthodox life, albeit without a minyan. During Sukkot I sat in a Sukkah, and even though there is no synagogue in the country I don't think there will be a problem to establish a house of prayer here. The Kuwaiti public, for its part, isn't so anti-Israel. I haven't encountered any kind of hostility towards Israel when its name comes up in daily conversation.

AP, AFPAccording to Yosef, Jewish soldiers in the American army who are based in Kuwait make up a little more than a minyan, and with their help there's the possibility of praying on Friday evening. "A Jewish woman who I met in Kuwait City told me that during the past decade she has met at least six or seven Jewish families, some of whom have left in the meantime. In total, the number of Jewish soldiers in the American army who serve in the Persian Gulf is estimated at a few hundred, alongside very small communities connected to the business community.

On maintaining relations with Jews from the region, Yosef said that he is "in close contact with the AGJC and with the Nonoo family [Ebrahim Dawood Nonoo, AGJC President]. Until now we've been in touch, mainly on Zoom, during festivals and other important days – Rosh Hashanah – Channukah, Tisha B'av, Pesach, Shavuot."

Nonoo himself avoided responding directly on this issue, and made do with this statement: "The Jewish communities of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar are excited to hear about the developments in the area, and expect them to continue."

Another Jewish figure in the Gulf noted that "naturally, if the Abraham Accords widen then more Israelis will come here," and he added that, according to his estimate, "apart from Oman, in which there are only a few Jews left, it's precisely in Qatar – Dubai's main rival – where there is potential that they will sign agreements with Israel. In this case, my estimate is that many Jews will gradually go there and the community is definitely liable to grow." Alex Peterfreund, the co-president of Gates to the East, the Jewish council in the Emirates, who shared in a roundabout way that "our community has become the main address for all the needs of the Jewish community in the UAE. All of us share the common goal of building our community – both for the sake of those who live here and for the tens of thousands of Jewish tourists who visit here each year."

In this context, Peterfreund added that "from the moment that the community here entered the stage of global Jewry's consciousness, we were required to take action very quickly and we are capable of helping small Jewish communities who will also be 'dropped' onto this stage."

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In recent years, a range of signs can be discerned in the regional public arena, describing the possible potential change in the attitude of the Gulf states towards Jews and Israel.

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In Saudi Arabia, for example, in 2020 the drama Um Haroun ('Aaron's Mother') was broadcast. A Saudi-funded production, it was filmed in the UAE, and led to extensive media responses in relation to attitudes to the Jews. The series dealt with the Jewish community that lived in Kuwait in the 1940s, focusing on the difficulties experienced by a doctor called Um Haroun because she was Jewish. In practice, the series dealt with the coexistence that prevailed between the Jewish, Christian and Muslim communities in Kuwait until the establishment of the State of Israel.

There were further public calls in Saudi Arabia to recognize the Holocaust as part of a "genuine striving for peace," but a clearer expression of this refreshing approach was found in a ground-breaking article published in an Israeli academic journal, with the headline "A Contribution to Improving the Image of the Prophet Muhammed in the Eyes of the Israeli Public: The Covenants and the Correspondence of Muhammed with the Jews of Saudi Arabia." What made this unique was the author of the article: Professor Muhammed Ibrahim Alghbban, a senior Saudi scholar who is responsible for Hebrew studies in the Department of Modern Languages at the King Saud University in Riyadh.

The article was published in June 2020 in Kesher, the Tel Aviv University journal devoted to the history of Jewish media, against the background of the atmosphere at the Organization for Islamic Cooperation and in Saudi Arabia, which seeks to promote inter-religious understanding leading to cooperation with Jews and Israel for the sake of peace. In the article, Alghbban claimed that mistakes in the analyses of Middle East scholars in the last century in relation to Islamic history led to a defective understanding of the writings – and these in turn led to a mistaken conception and to a "negative influence on contemporary Hebrew-speaking scholars of the East."

According to the Saudi scholar, "accusing the Muslim religion and the Prophet Muhammed of incitement and racism against the Jewish tribes in the Hijaz is a false accusation. Muhammed dealt equally with all the social groups in el-Medina and in other places under his control, without distinguishing according to race or religion."

To back up his claim, Alghbban reviewed the events in Saudi Arabia before and after the coming of Islam, while he translated the original sources from Arabic to Hebrew, emphasizing that most Orientalists chose to quote Islamic sources in the points of contention that are between different schools of Islam (Sunni, Shiite, Sufi etc), and in practice "present a picture that serves their ideology."

In addition, he notes that most of the Hebrew writers don't have full control of Arabic. Alghbban describes the fact of the historical existence of ancient kingdoms and states in the Hijaz (present-day Saudi Arabia) – including Dedan, Qedar, Thamud, Midian, and the Nabateans, which prove the important role of the Jews in the history of the Saudi peninsula in a range of areas, including religion, the economy, culture, and trade. In relation to Muhammed, he claimed that the prophet had good relations with the Jews, and that the clashes with them were solely against a political background and were not religious in nature.

Dramatic normalization

"It's possible to take the actions of Muhammed and the statements that are attributed to him in any direction that you want, there is a broad range of methodological maneuvering," explains the historian Professor Eyal Zisser from Tel Aviv University. "Is there a historical truth behind what is attributed to him? It's definitely in the eyes of the contemporary beholder. As a rule, it's clear that Muhammed was influenced by Judaism, but it's known that the moment the Jews refused to accept him as their prophet he began a political struggle [against them] and even killed members of three Jewish tribes in Medina, and expelled them and the Jews of Khaybar from the Saudi peninsula.

"Until today, there are those who use him as an example of the 'proper way' of how to treat the Jews. In clashes between the IDF and Palestinians, for example, we often hear calls of 'Khaybar Khaybar, ya Yahud, Jaish Muhammed, sa Yahud' – remember Khaybar, Jews, Muhammed's army is going to return."

It's true that, alongside the persecution of the Jews of the Arabian Peninsula, Muhammed accepted Judaism as a legitimate religion, but Zisser explains the intention of the author. "On the positive side, the author is interested in reconciliation, and because of this he slightly downplays the uncomfortable aspects, and claims that Islam accepts Judaism and is tolerant towards the existence of Jews. It's more indicative of our times than it is of the past."

In the spirit of the era, in the entire Arab world there is today a different way of looking at Jews and Judaism, as well as at the coexistence that existed in the past with them, a feeling of regret at their expulsion and more. "In this context, the normalization with the Gulf states is dramatic – among other reasons since it's already clear that other countries, who haven't yet officially signed anything with Israel, are already in contact with her and others in an attempt to break new ground," Prof. Zisser concludes.

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Q: What happened in 2010 that changed your negative perception of Jews?

"That year I was living with a Jewish family in France, and I studied the Bible and the shared tradition that Jews and Muslims have – and I was exposed to the historical connection that the Jews have with the region, which is an absolute fact, rather than the lie that they are colonialists. I changed my mind about the Jews. At that stage, I still had a negative attitude to Israel, and the revolution was completed four years ago when I discovered the truth that Israel provides for individual freedom of religion."

Around two years ago Alsharif, an opinion former who today lives in Abu Dhabi, which is in the UAE, met the Arab-Israeli hasbara activist Yoseph Haddad, CEO of Together – Vouch For Each Other, and this received extra validation with the signing of the Abraham Accords. The exciting meeting between them took place in March 2021, in a Muslim country that held a Holocaust Memorial Ceremony for the first time (at the initiative of Together – Vouch for Each Other and the organization Israeliz), during which, among other things, the testimonies of Holocaust survivors were shared.

"During and after the event I cried a lot. It took me a day to gather myself," Hadad says. "The Emiratis said that the ceremony made them understand the depth of the subject in a way they had never realized before, and this of course gave deep significance to the fact that it was being carried out in the light of the Abraham Accords." He has something else to emphasize. "We have to study history, and when an Arab-Israeli learns about the Holocaust it is a catalyst for Jews to come closer to Arab society and to bridge the gaps, without unnecessary racism."

Alsharif adds that "this unique event was extremely emotional. It's important to also note here the part of those Muslims who helped Jews, in the heart of the human tragedy, to escape from the gas chambers [mainly in North Africa and the Balkans]. For the sake of history and the future, inshallah we will have many memorial events like this in the UAE. We will never forget."

Haddad, who occasionally writes op-eds for Israel Hayom, says emphatically: "You don't understand how thirsty the Emiratis were to learn about Israel, Jewish society and Arab-Israeli society. Peace was formed against this background, as well as the openness and this crazy connection. We can feel something different in the air. Master of the Universe, I said to myself, they didn't know us and we didn't know them, but we wanted to know one another so much, it was a kind of falling in love."

Q: Arabs who are proud of their Israeliness

Haddad is a disabled IDF veteran who was severely wounded during the Second Lebanon War, after he volunteered for the IDF and served as a combat soldier in the Golani Brigade. Following his injury, he decided to devote his life to global hasbara about the beautiful side of Israel and about the real opportunities that Arab-Israelis receive.

In this context, regarding the importance of the Abraham Accords, Haddad, who lives in Nazareth, says: "It was personally fun for me to see how Arab society in Israel responded to this peace. For me, this is very important. The Abraham Accords aren't only important in the context of their direct outcome because first and foremost they broke the assumption that it isn't possible to make peace with Arab states without advancing the peace process with the Palestinians. From this perspective, it's possible to talk about the changes between Jews and Arabs.

Q: MK Odeh wasn't very enthusiastic, he called the agreements the "illusions of peace."

"There is criticism from Arab society about the Arab political representatives who opposed the agreements. It's a fact that when they opposed the accords, the Joint List wasn't representing the Arab-Israeli public. In actuality, when I flew to Dubai, 80 percent of the passengers spoke Arabic. Arab-Israelis were always waiting to fly to Dubai and to do business there. It's the language of our people, it's the most natural thing there is. From this perspective, the connection between the Arabs in the Emirates and the Jews here in Israel is natural. The leaders warm the relations, and the peoples are also connected."

Here Alsharif joins in and adds that he knows "many Arab-Israelis, including Muslims, Christians, and Druze, who are proud of their Israeliness. By contrast, the fact that there are still Arab-Israelis, with Israeli citizenship, who accuse Israel of war crimes against the Palestinians and aren't loyal to it, is inconceivable for me. They, alongside the Palestinian and anti-Israeli propaganda, are part of the problem – hiding the truth, turning it upside down. Happily, today there is social media, and especially the Association of Gulf Jewish Communities, that help us produce a new reality for Jews living in the Gulf.

Apart from his life as a social media influencer, Haddad deals devotedly with connecting Arab society in Israel to the rest of Israeli society and in bridging the gaps. "During the last five years there was tangible progress, and then there were the disturbances of May 2021. I immediately emphasized: They are the extremist voices and they aren't a majority of either of the sides. A few thousand Arabs participated out of two million, and out of seven million Jews there were a few hundred who went wild."

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The normalization of Israel-Morocco ties may not be officially part of the Abraham Accords but in reality, there is no substantial difference in details in comparison to the other agreements. The mutual relations were renewed in the same breath and form part of the same window of opportunity that opened in September 2020. Through a series of economic-academic areas, it's especially interesting to examine the cultural-sociological aspect that directly influences the life of the Jewish community in the kingdom located in northwest Africa, as well as Israelis' relationship with the country.

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One of the most fascinating things that stands out recently is the level of interest and desire that the Moroccan Muslims are showing in learning Hebrew. "We are receiving many inquiries about Hebrew courses from private individuals who want to know the language, simply because Moroccans love languages and are known as speakers of many languages," says Einat Levi, political and economic adviser in the Israel consulate in the capital Rabat.

Levi clarifies that "business owners and service providers are also interested in learning Hebrew, out of an understanding that there is an economic opportunity for them here." This issue is also accompanied by a significant visual factor: the Hebrew language is seen more and more in the alleyways of the markets and the old cities – this time not because of an initiative on the part of the king or the government, but by the residents and business owners who are excited about the return of Israeli tourism to Morocco, against the background of the renewal of relations between the countries.

In Malach, a neighborhood of the port city of Essaouira, one of two areas that the city's Jews lived in the past and in which there was full Jewish life, today the sign for the pharmacy is also displayed in Hebrew. Levi: "The Hebrew sign is a symbol of cultural renewal, evidence of the close connection between culture and tourism, and more than that – it has traces of belonging."

Levi, a researcher and entrepreneur who has spent the last decade moving between Israel and Morocco, adds with excitement that "after years of constant movement between the countries, the establishment of virtual communities for Moroccan Jews according to their city of origin, and the power of tremendous longing, I am beginning to understand that now I have an opportunity to be part of a community of Moroccan Jews who still live there. It's a big thing, really big."

Today between 1,500 and 2,000 Jews live in Morocco – around 1,200 in Casablanca, 120 in Marrakesh, 60 in Fez, and dozens more in Meknes and Agadir. Sources in the community talk about "increasing interest from Israelis who want to move permanently to Morocco for business reasons, as well as pensioners who are interested in moving to the country because of the cheap cost of living."

The fairly optimistic tourism forecasts about hundreds of thousands of Israeli tourists visiting Morocco annually, as well as the expectation of Moroccan tourists visiting Israel, are already being translated into practical action: Rahat is planning Hebrew courses for local tour guides, and in parallel is opening a new track for a master's degree at the International Institute of Tourism in Tangier, which will combine Hebrew studies with classes about Jewish heritage sites in Morocco and about Israeli and Jewish tourists.

Another interesting development that took place this year is the marking in Israel – for the first time – of the annual Throne Day for King Mohammed VI, which took place in July. Yokneam, Netanya, Dimona and other cities marked the event officially, making it another opportunity to celebrate the renewal of official ties.

Fundamentally, a political connection has been opened up between Israel and Morocco, which, despite being connected culturally, were still relatively disconnected politically and economically. It's true that Israelis faced no obstacles while traveling in Morocco, and most of the time were welcomed warmly, but the impression is that at official events – at festivals, in academia and more – there was a challenge, in light of the fear that an Israeli presence would attract public criticism from the boycott movements.

"Now the situation is different," is Levi's analysis. "There is a clear and strong official connection, and this makes open and public Israeli activities in Israeli easier, in new areas as well. It allows many Israelis of Moroccan origin to feel more complete, also thanks to the fact that Morocco has become part of the Israeli agenda: it's no longer just a national culture, it's part of the state's political and diplomatic activity. We need to get used to this and to learn about these new spaces, and to create real connections there."

Eyal Biram, the director of "Israeliz," an apolitical organization that deals with improving Israel's image around the world, notes that "when the Abraham Accords were signed, Morocco was a little different from the project that we carried out in the UAE. The goal of the project, to which we are a partner, is to bring young people from the Arab world closer to Israel, and it would have been impossible to do this without the Jewish angle. Morocco is an expression of the new-old Israeli story. From the aspiration for a melting point, many young Israelis now have a desire to embrace their identities and cultures and to formulate a new-old story from them.

"With the help of the Morocco identity which reminds people of their grandmother's home, both the real and the imagined, we have returned to the country in order to continue to advance 'the leaders of tomorrow' – our unique and historical project, which reaches out to young people across the Middle East, in the Gulf and North Africa. We are calling for a new reality, to break down the old walls and to create quality meetings between Israeli young people and young people from the Arab world. From our perspective, it's clear that the Jewish community is a cornerstone in advancing these relations."

In summarizing the atmosphere and the current pervasive feelings, it's clear that Morocco is being transformed from a past nostalgia into a present and a future. "It's something that moves me personally," Levi emphasizes with enthusiasm, "people dreamed for years about this change, but it needed the seal of official relations for them to talk about their dream publicly. They want to do things with Morocco or in Morocco, and these are projects or initiatives that are connected to their personal and professional identities. I have a special 'file of dreams' - there are quite a lot of them, and I hope that we will be privileged to realize them soon."

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The Association of Gulf Jewish Communities announced Sunday that it will provide another religious first for the region by bringing matzah-making to several GCC countries ahead of Passover, which begins Friday, April 15.

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Additionally, the AGJC has arranged for the shipment of 775 pounds of matzot to be distributed throughout Gulf Cooperation Council member-states, representing a nearly 20% increase as compared to Passover last year.

The GCC is a regional, intergovernmental and economic union that consists of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Of its members, Bahrain and the UAE – together with Sudan and Morocco – are part of the historic Abraham Accords, which have seen Jewish life in the Gulf thrive.

"As Jewish life in the Gulf continues its historic rise, there is a greater need for matzah than in years past," said AGJC's Rabbi Dr. Elie Abadie. "Our objective in creating the AGJC was to share resources among the communities in the region and by bringing in matzot, and localized baking in some countries, more Jews will be able to have the convenience of celebrating Passover here this year."

AGJC President Ebrahim Nonoo noted, "We are very excited to be baking matzot with our communities this year, it is something that some used to do individually in the past, but this year we will be able to bring families and children to participate in this mitzvah.

"We have seen an influx of Jewish people moving to the GCC over the last year and are expecting several Passover programs in our countries this year as well. We are thrilled to have an increased demand for matzot and to be able to ship in more matzot this year than ever before."

The Association of Gulf Jewish Communities is the umbrella organization for the Jewish communities of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries that are building and enhancing Jewish life in the region. As such, it is the first organization representing Jewish communities in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

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When it comes to the impact of the Abraham Accords on Jewish life in the Gulf, most thoughts turn to the opportunities for Israelis to flock to newly opened kosher hotels and restaurants in Dubai or Manama, or to visit the remnants of a once-thriving Jewish community in Bahrain, the origins of which are thought to go back to late antiquity.

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But on the one-year anniversary of the formation of the Association of Gulf Jewish Communities (AGJC), the focus has turned to the future of a more permanent Jewish life in the region.

The AGJC is the umbrella organization for the Jewish communities of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries that are building and enhancing Jewish life in the region. As such, it is the first organization representing Jewish communities in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

While each community is independent, they share a common goal and vision – for Jewish life to flourish in the Gulf for the benefit of both residents and visitors. Formed on Feb. 15, 2021, in the wake of the Abraham Accords, which were announced in August and signed in September 2020.

Today is our first anniversary and as we reflect back on this incredible year, we are so happy that you were all part of it! We can't wait for what the next year will bring! pic.twitter.com/jAtamEYCYg

— Association of Gulf Jewish Communities (AGJC) (@gulfjewish) February 15, 2022

Rabbi Elie Abadie, the senior rabbi of the Jewish Council of the Emirates, said, The AGJC has changed the way a Jew lives his or her life in the Gulf. Now, Jewish communities can keep their faith, their customs and traditions publicly, and with deep commitment."

It has been an honor and pleasure leading the AGJC @gulfjewish and helping the Jewish communities in the Gulf @AmericanSephard https://t.co/VYjmRRNnJV

— Rabbi Elie Abadie MD حاخام دكتور ايلي عبادي (@RabbiElieAbadie) February 14, 2022

"The growth of Jewish life in the Gulf Cooperation Council over the past year is nothing short of miraculous," according to Houda Nonoo, former ambassador of Bahrain to the United States and currently a AGJC board member.

"As we mark the first anniversary of the Association of Gulf Jewish Communities, we are celebrating an unprecedented partnership between the Jews of the Gulf."

AGJC President Ebrahim Nonoo said, "Since the Abraham Accords came into being, the idea of having Jewish life flourish again in the region is progressing well. The association that we've created is looking after all the religious needs of the Jewish people so that they can feel like they are not short of anything to help them with going through their Jewish life."

The AGJC is effectively serving as an umbrella support organization for a loose string of communities. As Jewish life has expanded in the region recently, there have been some rifts caused by new rabbis coming in, including one who dubbed himself the chief rabbi of Saudi Arabia, much to the reported consternation of the small Jewish community there, which much still pray behind closed doors.

Nonoo emphasized that "we just want to be there for whoever needs us, basically. And that's the way we're going forward.

Abadie added that the Conference of European Rabbis, the Jewish Agency for Israel and the Jewish Federations of North America are among the organizations that have lent support to his expansion efforts.

"We have been able to reach out to individual Jews living in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait. These Jews have been living a quiet life under the radar until now. We've provided them with matzah, with shofars, with the reading of mitzvot. We have revived the practice of Jewish individuals and Jewish communities in the entire Gulf," he told JNS.

Abadie also heads the recently established Arabian Kosher Certification Agency, which aims to set the same kosher standards throughout all six GCC countries, making it easier for practicing Jews to live in or travel around the Gulf.

Abadie is also leading the development of the Beth Din of Arabia to assist with issues pertaining to personal status and voluntary business dispute resolutions.

Nonoo noted two main obstacles to a more rapid expansion of Jewish life in the Gulf over the last year. One, of course, is COVID-19, which he said dampened the relocation plans of those who wanted to relocate. The second is the requirement among several GCC countries in securing work visas through verified employment prior to moving.

"You need to have a solid job to move to the Gulf, but what's changed now is that if a family is looking to relocate, they're going to feel comfortable because they've got all the surrounding Jewish life around them," he said. "Now, that's not to say that jobs are easy to get in the Gulf, but I've got to tell you that Bahrain is becoming a very interesting location for people looking to relocate. We're seeing some families come into Bahrain, which is great, but not on the scale that perhaps Dubai is seeing. I don't really have numbers, but Dubai is seeing a lot more of the Jewish community finding jobs there."

JNS.org contributed to this report.

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Yosef Bugnum el-Hamali, a resident of Abu Dhabi, remembers the specific moment when he heard about the signing of the Abraham Accords, and understood that the human connection embodied in the new agreement with Israel lay, before everything, in learning the language of his Jewish neighbors living in the Gulf states. He then jumped at the opportunity to learn Hebrew: "Less than a fortnight after the agreement," he recalls, "I was happy to find a private teacher, a fluent Hebrew-speaking Egyptian, who had learned [the language] while working in Egyptian tourism."

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Next, he registered for a private school in Tel Aviv that teaches online Hebrew classes via Zoom, "and I realized that there were a number of other students from the UAE. It's a very special feeling." Since then, el-Hamali (48), has been practicing the language every day, and for a long time, almost daily, he has been uploading pictures of exercises he has written in Hebrew.

"Hebrew is an ancient and interesting language, and of course, it's a Semitic language like Arabic," he says, "but when I started studying, I was still very surprised by the level of similarities between them. You need to pay attention to the changing meanings when you move a note of punctuation on the letter that's pronounced in the sentence – it can be dramatic."

And what about an exercise that includes a conversation in Hebrew with Israelis? "One of the reasons that I wanted to learn Hebrew was that I noticed that, when speaking with an Israeli in Hebrew, the dialogue and the dynamic become more harmonious. It's possible to speak with ease very quickly, and we feel the closeness that politics had destroyed for us for many years. I began learning about Judaism, and as expected the communication becomes much closer when we cross the language barrier."

Regarding his level of competence in Hebrew, el-Hamali says: "I improve from week to week but I'm still not at a sufficiently high level. My Hebrew is still weak but with a little help from my friends, I'm improving it to the highest possible level. God willing, my Hebrew will be fluent in two years' time. I'm still waiting to fly to Israel when it will be possible for me. The demand in Emiratis wanting to visit Israel is also increasing."

 'Language is the direct connection to other cultures'

Isma Al-Atawi is the first Bahraini to complete a bachelor's degree in Hebrew Language and Literature. "My desire began out of a curiosity for the subject while I was still in high school," she says. "As a Muslim, I always read and educate myself about the lives of the prophets, and that includes many stories about the Prophet Mohamed with Jews, as well as the stories from the history of relations between Muslims and Jews. This gave me the inspiration to research and to study more about the Jewish religion, the Jewish community, and its culture, way of life, and more."

After finishing her high school studies, she decided to study Hebrew Language and Literature at Ain Shams University in Egypt, "in order to strengthen my knowledge and to be capable of reading books and other materials in the original language," Al-Atawi explains.

Around nine months ago she founded the "Names" academy (translation of the title in Arabic) – a center for language study that she manages, which collaborates with Hebrew schools in Israel. At the academy, the first of its kind in the Kingdom of Bahrain, there are dozens of students, most of them in their twenties and thirties, from a range of countries in the Gulf including Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and even one student from Iraq.

"Fundamentally, the establishment of this study academy came from my desire to share my knowledge with others," she says, "and in practice, I frequently taught people using social media."

As expected, the Abraham Accords increased the demand for these opportunities. According to Al-Atawi, "This isn't a new idea, but since the signing of the Abraham Accords, I feel that there is greater demand from the Gulf states, especially for business and tourist purposes. With the launch of the academy, I began to offer our online courses earlier this year. Luckily, until now we've taught nearly 40 students from Bahrain and other Arab countries. They have at least the foundations of the language, and we are continuing to teach them to reach the highest level."

Al-Atwai is convinced that the level of interest in the secrets of the Hebrew language will only grow. "Language is the most direct connection to different cultures, and the ability to communicate in another language allows people to research religion, community, traditions, the arts and history of people who are connected to this language. In addition, it will also strengthen the economy and the business between the two countries.

"The Kingdom of Bahrain was always an excellent example in the region of tolerance and coexistence and is known as a land of peace. Luckily much has changed over the past year, and many Bahrainis are approaching me in order to learn more about Jews and the Hebrew language, and are even interested in learning it. Many of them are also interested in visiting Israel in order to know more about it. I am convinced that there will be more developments on this issue in the near future."

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The Association of Gulf Jewish Communities (AGJC) is launching a fundraising campaign to restore the more than 100-year-old Jewish cemetery in Bahrain, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency reports.

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The burial ground in the capital, Manama, holds special significance as the only operating Jewish cemetery in the Arab Gulf region. The cemetery was established by the Jewish community in the 1930s, along with the Manama synagogue, which remains the only functioning synagogue in the GCC.

The synagogue was recently renovated, and prayer services were held publicly for the first time in decades.

The campaign will kick off this Sunday evening with a tree-planting ceremony as part of festivities to mark the start of the Jewish holiday of Tu B'Shevat, known as the New Year of the Trees.

"[W]e are planting trees in the Jewish cemetery of Bahrain which is akin to bringing life back to those that have lived in the beautiful community in Bahrain for centuries and made their resting place in Bahrain for eternity," Rabbi Eli Abadie, head rabbi of the AGJC, said of the project.

AGJC is the umbrella organization for the Jewish communities of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries – Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Ebrahim Dawood Nonoo, whose family was one of the original Jewish families to settle in Bahrain, serves as president of AGJC. The community dates to the late 1800s when a group of Iraqi Jews immigrated to the Gulf state.

Israel normalized relations with the UAE and Bahrain in September of 2020.

i24NEWS contributed to this report

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