As antisemitism rises in countries around the world, the United Arab Emirates hosted the fist Holocaust exhibit in the Arabian Gulf aimed at raising awaraness of the horrors of the Holocaust among lovcal Emiratis as well as Dubai residents and tourists.
The exhibit was developed by the Crossroads of Civilizations Museum in Dubai, was inaugurated this week in presence of the country’s Jewish community as well as Israel’s ambassador to the UAE, Eitan Na’eh and Germany’s ambassador Peter Fischer.
The exhibition explores the chain of events leading up to the Holocaust and uses personal stories – many of which come from Jews in the Arab world. There is a special tribute to Arab heroes – upstanders who defended and saved Jews.
“We are all concerned about the rise in antisemitism in Europe, the United Kingdom, and the United States. By teaching and informing our visitors about the Holocaust, we will create more awareness about the danger that this negative rhetoric and resulting actions can lead to,” said Crossroads of Civilizations Museum founder, Ahmed Obeid AlMansoori. “As a leading cultural institution in the UAE, it is very important to us that we focus on educating people about the tragedies of the Holocaust because education is the antidote to ignorance.”
“We are alarmed to see this surge of anti-Semitic attacks in major cities across the United States and Europe. We forget how quickly hate can spiral,” said the UAE Chief Rabbi Yehuda Sarna.
“My wife’s family was saved from the Holocaust by an Arab doctor, Mohamed Helmy. His example – this exhibit – reminds us that we must rise to the challenge of combating extremism as neighbors, as friends.”
“The new Holocaust Memorial exhibit in Dubai is unique in the region. It reflects a new discourse that is emerging in the UAE which is rooted in mutual respect and human compassion,’’ said President of the Jewish community Ross Kriel.
The Crossroads of Civilizations Museum in Dubai was founded in 2012 with a mission to reflect the culture of the UAE and its values of openness, harmony, mutual respect, and multiculturalism.
The United Arab Emirates normalized its relations with Israel last year. Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco later joined the UAE in signing the Abraham Accords.