Latest news with #YossefAvrahamShelley
Middle East Eye
01-08-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Israel orders diplomatic staff in UAE to evacuate, citing 'heightened security risk'
Israel is evacuating most of its diplomatic staff from the United Arab Emirates after the National Security Council (NSC) updated its travel warning for Israelis in the Gulf state, according to local media. The move comes after Israel reportedly recalled its ambassador to the UAE, Yossef Avraham Shelley, when the Emirates said it was no longer willing to accept him due to "undignified" behaviour at a bar. On Thursday, Israel's NSC warned of possible attempts to target Israeli and Jewish people in the UAE, "especially around Jewish holidays and Shabbat". The council, which oversees issues related to foreign affairs and national security, has linked the move to "concerns about retaliatory attacks" following Israel's 12-day assault on Iran in June and growing international isolation over its onslaught on Gaza, which many countries and human rights groups have now described as genocide. The UAE established formal diplomatic relations with Israel in 2020, becoming the third Arab state to do so, following Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994. In 2022, the two countries also signed a free trade agreement. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Since June 2022, the UAE has operated direct flights between Dubai and Tel Aviv, and tourism and business ties have grown. Israeli officials maintain that the UAE is one of the safest places for Israelis. However, in March, three people in the UAE were sentenced to death over the killing of an Israeli-Moldovan rabbi, Zvi Kogan. The current NSC warning points towards growing tensions. Earlier this week, the Emirati authorities lodged diplomatic complaints against Shelley, the Israeli ambassador, over three separate incidents. Israeli media reported that Shelley behaved inappropriately on multiple occasions and clashed with Emirati security personnel. The Times of Israel reported that UAE officials felt that Shelley crossed 'a huge red line" at a bar in Abu Dhabi and acted in an 'undignified' manner. Recognition of Palestinian state Meanwhile, international pressure on Israel over its war on Gaza grows. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Tuesday announced that the United Kingdom will recognise a Palestinian state by September unless Israel agrees to a ceasefire in Gaza. On the same day, 15 western countries, led by France, stated their willingness to move towards recognition of a Palestinian state. On Wednesday, Canada's prime minister, Mark Carney, similarly announced his intention to recognise the state of Palestine at the next UN General Assembly, which was followed by Portugal. Several Middle Eastern countries also joined in a call for "a sovereign and independent Palestinian state". International human rights organisations, including two major Israeli groups, have stated that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. The United Nations' Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) has cited evidence that "worst-case scenario of famine" is unfolding in Gaza due to the Israeli-imposed blockade on aid.
Middle East Eye
29-07-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Israeli ambassador to UAE being sent home over 'undignified' behaviour at bar: Report
Israel's ambassador to the UAE is being summoned home from his post over 'undignified' behaviour at an Emirati bar that upset the UAE, according to Hebrew media reports. Israel's government was forced to recall its ambassador to the Gulf state, Yossef Avraham Shelley, after the UAE said it was no longer willing to accept him as ambassador, Israel's Channel 12 news reported on Tuesday. Hebrew news site N12 reported earlier that Shelley antagonised the UAE by showing up to a bar in the Gulf state with several Israelis, including women, and acting in a way that UAE officials told Israel was 'unacceptable and even harmed our dignity'. The UAE normalised ties with Israel in 2020 as part of the Abraham Accords brokered by US President Donald Trump. Abu Dhabi has emerged as Israel's closest Arab partner in the region amid an uproar over Israel's war on Gaza, which leading human rights groups and scholars have declared is a genocide. The UAE is the one Arab country that Israel's foreign minister has been able to visit since the war in Gaza erupted. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar travelled to the UAE in January 2025 before a temporary ceasefire in Gaza was reached. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters The UAE's move would be remarkable in its own right. The tiny Gulf state is home to 10 million people, of whom just 10 percent are Emirati citizens. The country counts South Asian labourers, British expats, Russian oligarchs and flashy influencers among its residents. Dubai is known for being the Gulf region's nightlife capital. Hebrew media reported last week that Shelley was out on a Friday night in Abu Dhabi with friends and acted in an 'undignified' manner that 'crossed the boundaries of personal space' on Friday evening. Shelley previously served as Israeli ambassador to Brazil, where he was at the centre of two scandals. In one case, Shelley was photographed having dinner with former Brazilian president, Jair Bolsonaro. The image of their dinner on Instagram appeared to show lobster scribbled out in black. Jewish kosher diet rules prohibit the consumption of shellfish. In 2023, Haaretz reported that Shelley personally responded to an Israeli visa inquiry by a Brazilian woman. He told her in correspondence and in video chats that she needed to meet him in person before he would help her obtain a visa to visit Israel. In a video call with her, Shelley appeared shirtless and lying on a bed. 'When I turned on the camera, I saw he was lying on the bed, sweating,' the woman recounted. 'He said he'd just returned from a walk. It was very inappropriate. I asked him if he'd rather talk later, and he said, 'No, let's talk now.' He asked to meet with me in person and invited me to dinner in Brasilia. I felt pressured and harassed.' Shelley was later named the director general of the prime minister's office. Shelley was named ambassador to the UAE in November 2024. 'Yossi served as a very, very effective ambassador in Brazil,' Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at the time. 'He made connections there not only with the president of Brazil, but also with the Brazilian media and did a wonderful job there. He also did important and difficult work in the Prime Minister's Office during this period.'
