Israeli Officers and Soldiers Make Record Visits to the UAE
The UAE has recorded the highest number of visits by Israeli officers and soldiers to its territory over the past year, amid Israel’s ongoing genocide against Gaza and Lebanon, as highlighted by Hebrew media.
The UAE has become the preferred destination for Israeli officers and soldiers, with Dubai now topping the list of cities they prefer to travel to during the winter, surpassing major European and American destinations such as Athens, Rome, Budapest, and New York.
The Hebrew site “Mako” reported that the number of Israelis traveling to the UAE has reached about 116,000, representing more than 10% of the total flights departing from Ben Gurion Airport in recent times.
According to statistics, Ben Gurion Airport received around 34,900 passengers last Tuesday on 228 incoming and outgoing international flights. About 17,200 passengers left on international flights, while approximately 17,700 passengers entered Israel.
This number is relatively low compared to previous days, where passenger numbers had recently exceeded 40,000 daily.
Although the Hebrew site did not specify how many stayed in the UAE or continued their journeys to other destinations, the figures reflect the large influx to the UAE, including by Israeli officers and soldiers who find a safe haven in Abu Dhabi despite their involvement in war crimes against Palestinians and Lebanese.
The Israeli embassy in Abu Dhabi is the only one operating fully in the Arab world since the start of Israel’s aggression against Gaza, while other countries maintain minimal relations with the occupation or have even partially severed ties due to the Israeli massacres.
In addition to political facilitation, the UAE offers significant logistical advantages to Israelis, with the budget airline “FlyDubai” operating 8 daily flights between Dubai and Tel Aviv, the same number of daily flights operated by Emirates Airlines, with an additional flight starting from the end of October 2024.
Analysts believe that the flow of Israelis to the UAE, especially soldiers, reflects the high level of coordination between Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv, as the Zionists find in the UAE a safe and comfortable environment, free from any pressures or threats, and even offering them unprecedented protection.
Despite the incident of the murder of Rabbi Tzvi Kogan in Abu Dhabi, which temporarily raised concerns among Israelis, it has not affected their continued flow into the Gulf state, confirming that the UAE has effectively become a preferred tourist and political destination for Israelis, regardless of the crimes committed by their military in Gaza and Lebanon.
Media reports indicate that the UAE maintained an air bridge with the occupation during the military operations in Gaza. The budget airline “FlyDubai” was operating 8 daily flights from Dubai to Tel Aviv, with the same number from Tel Aviv to Dubai.
Additionally, Emirates Airlines announced the expansion of its daily flight schedule between Dubai and Tel Aviv, adding a daily flight starting from the end of October.
Channel 12 in Israel reported that a large number of Israelis prefer to travel to the UAE, citing a “non-hostile stance and a sense of security” there. It quoted a tourism official, Oren Cohen, saying, “Dubai and Abu Dhabi welcome the Israeli tourist and are considered largely safe.
