ISRAEL'S RELATIONSHIP WITH CHINA ..... CHINA STILL REFUSES TO MOVE ITS EMBASSY TO JERUSALEM

China highlights new chapter with Israel at embassy celebration

Beijing's new Tel Aviv embassy hosted first major event since Gaza war ended, marking Year of the Fire Horse. Ambassador Xiao Junzheng praises Israeli resilience and bilateral trade that reached historic $33 billion in 2025.

 

by Erez Linn 

 

Israel Hayom

Feb 6, 2026 

 

 

 

 

The People's Republic of China's ambassador to Israel, Xiao Junzheng during the reception at the Chinese Embassy in Tel Aviv on February 4, 2026

 

The Chinese Embassy's first large-scale event since the Gaza war ended carried unmistakable diplomatic weight. Ambassador Xiao Junzheng used the Lunar New Year reception – celebrating the upcoming Year of the Fire Horse – to signal Beijing's renewed commitment to Israel, addressing the Gvili family by name and emphasizing resilience in both nations' cultural traditions. Aviv Ezra, deputy director general for Asia and the Pacific at the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, represented Israel at the event, along with Hagai Shagrir, head of Asia Pacific Bureau at the the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"In traditional Chinese culture, the horse symbolizes courage, speed, and hard work, and is often regarded as a sign of good fortune and success. In Jewish culture, the horse represents strength, honor, and resilience. While our cultures differ, the spirit of the horse is deeply shared by both traditions," Xiao said.

The ambassador, who took office in November 2024 during the war's height, continued at this event with the approach he adopted upon arriving in Israel, expressing solidarity with Israeli society and highlighting its achievements despite all the challenges it faces. He even addressed the Gvili family directly.

"After 843 days, the final hostage, Ran Gvili, has come home to be laid to rest," Ambassador Xiao said. "I extend my deepest condolences to his family. My thoughts are with all hostage families and the people of Israel, who have endured unimaginable pain throught these long days. May peace prevail."

Xiao emphasized that bilateral stability persisted throughout the war's upheaval. Joint trade reached a historic high of $33 billion in 2025, maintaining China's position as Israel's second-largest trading partner worldwide. The ambassador specifically praised the approximately 20,000 Chinese workers who remained in Israel and contributed to development projects despite the fighting.

While China initially adopted a relatively hostile diplomatic stance when the war began, Beijing never suspended joint projects or regular airline flights. At the governmental level, Chinese officials gradually shifted toward expressing admiration for Israeli resilience – an evolution that may have culminated in the ambassador's remarks.

The reception's timing and scale carried its own message. "While our cultures differ, the spirit of the horse is deeply shared by both traditions. We look forward to China–Israel relations moving ahead with new energy and opening a bright new chapter," Xiao said, perhaps signaling that Beijing considers the barrier to fully realizing bilateral potential now removed as Israel emerges victorious from the war.

FIJI STOOD BY ISRAEL WHILE MOST OTHER COUNTRIES DEMONIZED THE JEWISH STATE

Fiji: A Pacific ally Israel can trust

For Jewish leaders accustomed to measuring allies by size or strategic utility, it is a reminder that principled support for Israel often comes from unexpected quarters.

 

By Michael Freund 

 

Israel Today

Feb 6, 2026

 

 

Fiji's first ambassador to Israel, Jesoni Vitusagavulu, is received in Jerusalem by Israel President Isaac Herzog. 

 

When Israel reopens its embassy in the Fijian capital of Suva this April, some might view the move as little more than a bit of diplomatic housekeeping, just another formal diplomatic mission being opened. That would be a mistake.

The decision, first reported by the Fiji Sun newspaper on Jan. 21, is not merely a bureaucratic or political step. It says something important about how Israel rewards loyalty and how small states can exercise real moral agency in a world increasingly hostile to the Jewish state.

Fiji is not a country that generally dominates world headlines. Located in the South Pacific, nearly 10,000 miles from Jerusalem, it is an island nation of roughly 900,000 people spread across an archipelago of more than 330 islands. It is geographically remote, economically modest and far removed from the Middle East’s daily turbulence, which makes its consistent friendship towards Israel all the more notable. Fiji’s support is not born of proximity or pressure, but of choice. 

  

In September, Fiji made a quiet but consequential decision of its own, opening an embassy in Jerusalem. At a time when many countries still treat Israel’s capital as radioactive—fearing backlash from blocs, activists or Arab countries—Fiji chose recognition over ritualized ambiguity. Indeed, it did so knowing that criticism would ensue.

Israel noticed.

Fiji’s support did not begin with the decision to open an embassy in Jerusalem, nor is it limited to symbolism. For years, it has refused to participate in the automatic majorities that dominate UN votes on Israel. While others treat Israel as a convenient punching bag, often without even reading the resolutions placed before them, Fiji has frequently voted with Israel or abstained when fairness demanded it.

That behavior matters. In an institution such as the United Nations, where legitimacy is manufactured by numbers rather than substance, each dissenting vote carries weight far beyond its size.

This is not bloc politics. Fiji is not part of a Western alliance, nor is it dependent on Israeli aid. Its choices are shaped by a worldview rooted in sovereignty, faith and lived experience. As a small state that has fought to maintain political stability, Fiji understands well some of the challenges that Israel faces.

American Jewry, in particular, should take note of Fiji’s gesture. In an era when many large and influential countries hedge, equivocate or retreat behind diplomatic boilerplate statements, a small Pacific nation with no Jewish lobby to court and no domestic political incentives has chosen clarity over convenience. Fiji’s support is not driven by donations, pressure or proximity. It is voluntary, and precisely for that reason, it carries greater moral weight.

For Jewish leaders accustomed to measuring allies by size or strategic utility, Fiji is a reminder that principled support for Israel often comes from unexpected quarters.

And that is why Israel should treat the reopening of its embassy in Fiji not as the culmination of the relationship, but as a starting point. Deepening cooperation in agriculture, security training and disaster preparedness would anchor the partnership in long-term substance and signal that principled friends are not merely thanked, but invested in.

There is also a broader strategic logic at work. The Pacific Islands have become an increasingly contested arena, courted aggressively by China and routinely ignored by Europe. Israel’s presence in Fiji strengthens its footprint across the region and reinforces ties with countries that have already demonstrated a willingness to think independently.

But the relationship is not driven only by strategy.

Fiji is a deeply Christian society, and its connection to Israel is informed by more than geopolitics. Biblical literacy shapes public culture and political instincts. Israel is not viewed as an abstraction or a slogan, but as a real country with historic and spiritual significance. That grounding—as unfashionable in some Western quarters as it may be—has translated into consistency when others follow trends.

There will be critics. Some will argue that Fiji’s alignment with Israel is naive or outdated. Others will insist that small states should keep their heads down and follow the consensus. That argument misunderstands both Suva and Jerusalem.

Fiji’s foreign policy has never been about submission to international groupthink. It has been about autonomy. And Israel, for all its power, remains acutely aware of who stands with it when standing up carries a cost.

The reopening of the Jewish state’s embassy is therefore not merely ceremonial. It is a signal to friends and adversaries alike that Israel distinguishes between those who posture and those who act.

Fiji stood with Israel when doing so carried a cost. In today’s diplomatic climate, that alone can and does set it apart.

MARKETS DOING BETTER THAN OK

By Bob Walsh

 

The DOW closed a smidge above 50,000 on Friday.  I must be old.  I remember all the whoohah involved in resetting the computers to go above 10,000, back in the last century.  The other major stock indexes are doing OK too.  Very OK even.  MY 457 likes it.  

It's not the second coming of Ronald Regan, but it is better than a sharp stick in the eye.  

THE WAR ON DRUGS IN ARKANSAS

‘Methampheta-lime’: $28 million worth of meth found in truck carrying limes near Hope 

 

by: Miriam Battles

 

KARK,com

Feb 6, 2026

 

 

HOPE, Ark. – Authorities in Arkansas said more than $28 million worth of methamphetamine was found in a box truck carrying fresh limes near Hope last November.

Officials with the 8th South Drug Task Force said investigators received information about methamphetamine being trafficked through Texarkana.

With the help of the Arkansas State Police and several other law enforcement agencies, the suspected vehicle was stopped at a weigh station near Hope.

Investigators said they found 620 pounds, valued at $28.1 million, of methamphetamine in the 10 tons of fresh limes in the truck.

Two people were arrested and are facing charges of trafficking methamphetamine. Authorities did not release the names of the individuals.

LOONY LOOMER, TRUMP'S FORMER SQUEEZE, ATTACKS BLACK SENATOR FOR ATTACKING TRUMP'S RACIST OBAMA APE POST

Trump enforcer declares war on lone black Republican senator over ape outrage: 'Resign traitor'

 

By Nikki Schwab 

 

Daily Mail

Feb 6, 2026 

 

 

Laura Loomer (left) called on Republican Senator Tim Scott, the only black GOP senator, to resign from leading the National Republican Senatorial Committee after Scott publicly condemned President Donald Trump over the racist Obama video

 

Laura Loomer demanded Friday that Senator Tim Scott resign from his position atop the National Republican Senatorial Committee after he publicly rebuked Donald Trump over the racist Obama video promoted by the president. 

Loomer, a conspiracy-driven right-wing media figure who labels herself the Trump administration's 'chief loyalty enforcer' fired off several fiery posts on X about the South Carolina senator - who is the only black Republican in the upper chamber.

'Someone who is willing to give the Democrats ammunition like that in the middle of a midterm election year is too stupid to be in charge,' Loomer said. 

'I warned President Trump it was a terrible idea for Tim Scott to be chair of the NRSC and he told me to "give him a chance." I always said it was a bad idea,' Loomer continued. 

'Donald Trump is WAY TOO NICE to these traitors. I remain undefeated in my ability to detect horrible people for President Trump,' Loomer said. 'F*** you! [Tim Scott] Resign, Traitor!' 

 

The President received widespread backlash after he posted a video depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as apes

 

After Trump's Truth Social account posted a video overnight that ended with a clip from a Lion King-themed AI video depicting former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama as apes - a longtime racist trope - Scott took to the internet to call the administration out.   

'Praying it was fake because it's the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House. The President should remove it,' Scott said.

 

Laura Loomer, a right-wing media figure who identifies herself as the Trump White House's 'chief loyalty enforcer' went after Senator Tim Scott on Friday, calling for him to resign as head of the NRSC, which elects Republicans to the U.S. Senate 

 

A handful of Scott's GOP colleagues in the Senate and House also criticized the video, alongside many Democrats.

A Trump administration official told the Daily Mail that the video was 'an obvious screen recording,' adding that 'the boomer who posted it to X didn't trim off the excess when the next reel started to auto play.' 

The Obama imagery kicks off the longer Lion King-themed reel, which shows other Democrats as animals and portrays Trump as the Lion King. 

'The aide didn't notice that one second portion at the end of the video and it was never seen by the president,' the Trump official said. 

The video was pulled down from Truth Social, in a rare U-turn made by the White House.

The White House has not disclosed the name of the aide who posted it. 

Loomer maintained Scott was the problem.

'I love how the GOP is so useless but they always have time to attack President Trump,' she said in one X post. 

 

Laura Loomer was constantly next to Donald Trump when he was campaigning for president in 2024. She called Senator Tim Scott a 'RINO saboteur' and a 'Trump hater' in social media posts Friday 

 

'Why are you always working to undermine him? You have always been a Trump hater. You even ran against him,' she wrote in another. 

Scott briefly challenged Trump in 2024 for the GOP presidential nomination, but dropped out in November 2023, before the first votes were counted, and endorsed the former president instead.

After calling on Scott to resign, Loomer reiterated how dumb it was for him to publicly call Trump out, as the two would be face-to-face later Friday night, as the president is hosting Republican senators to dinner once he arrives at Mar-a-Lago.

The NRSC winter meeting is taking place this weekend in Palm Beach, where Trump's Florida estate is located. 

'Scott could have waited to speak to Trump today at the dinner,' she said. 'But he’s always been a RINO saboteur so he did it publicly.'

A source familiar told the Daily Mail that Trump called Scott Friday to let him know that the post would come down - and shared that it was a staffer's fault.

BLAMING A STAFFER FOR INSULTING APES WON'T WORK .... TRUMP'S PANTS ARE ON FIRE

Trump DELETES Obama ape video as White House throws junior staffer under the bus

 

By Phillip Nieto 

 

Daily Mail

Feb 6, 2026

 

The President received widespread backlash after he posted a video depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as apes

 

Donald Trump has deleted a video depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as apes after a furious backlash from senior Republicans.

The clip, which the President shared late last night, focused on his accusations of fraud during the 2020 election.

At the end of the video, an AI clip flashes up showing the Obamas' faces superimposed on ape bodies, set to The Tokens' song The Lion Sleeps Tonight.

'A White House staffer erroneously made the post. It has been taken down,' a spokesman for the President told the Daily Mail on Friday, without naming the staffer it is holding responsible for the post.

The U-turn comes just hours after press secretary Karoline Leavitt doubled down on Trump's swipe at the Obama family, accusing critics of 'fake outrage.'

'This is from an internet meme video depicting President Trump as the King of the Jungle and Democrats as characters from the Lion King,' Leavitt told the Daily Mail. 

'Please stop the fake outrage and report on something today that actually matters to the American public.'

Trump deleted his post after South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, the only black Republican in the Senate, called it 'the most racist thing I've seen out of this White House.'

 

Donald Trump deleted the post, which the White House has blamed on a staffer

Since starting his second term, Trump has intensified attacks against Obama on social media 

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt initially doubled down on the President's post

 

The clip belongs to a pro-Trump account on X but was reposted by the President on his Truth Social platform.

Other prominent Republican senators joined Scott in demanding that Trump take down the video. 

Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi posted on X: 'This is totally unacceptable. The president should take it down and apologize.' 

Senator Pete Ricketts of Nebraska wrote: 'Even if this was a Lion King meme, a reasonable person sees the racist context to this. The White House should do what anyone does when they make a mistake: remove this and apologize.'  

Trump's video sparked condemnation from the senators' Democratic colleagues. 

'Disgusting behavior by the President,' California Governor Gavin Newsom's press office wrote on X. 'Every single Republican must denounce this. Now.' 

Democratic political strategist Adam Parkhomenko posted: 'This is overt racism. Full stop. There's no "misinterpretation" and no excuse. This is who he is, who he's always been, and why he should never be anywhere near power again.'

Trump's longstanding feud with Obama stretches back decades, beginning when he first promoted claims that the 44th president was born outside the United States.

Since starting his second term, Trump has intensified attacks against Obama on social media by accusing the former president of 'treason'.

 

Senator Tim Scott called the video 'the most racist thing I've seen out of this White House'

 

The President claimed Obama betrayed the US by spying on his presidential campaign over accusations of Russian interference in the 2016 election.

Trump has posted AI memes on Truth Social showing Obama's arrest and imprisonment.

Trump's video of the Obamas has been liked more than 2,500 times and reposted more than 1,100 times on Truth Social.

The Daily Mail has contacted the Obamas for comment.

THIS IS CLEARLY A CHEAP SHOT AGAINST JUDGE FRD BIERY FOR RULING THAT THE ICE ARRESTS REFLECTED 'A PERFIDIOUS LUST FOR UNBRIDLED POWER' ..... NO OME HAS CLAIMED THAT THE BOY'S FATER COMMITTED ANY CRIMES IN THIS COUNTRY '

Kristi Noem's DHS goes after five-year-old boy detained by ICE following his release from detention center

 

By Wilco Martinez-Cachero 

 

Daily Mail

Feb 6, 2026

 

 

Liam Conejo Ramos, five, was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Columbia Heights, Minnesota, on January 20

 

Kristi Noem's Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has requested to fast–track the deportation of the five–year–old boy who was detained by federal immigration agents while walking home from school in Minneapolis.

Liam Conejo Ramos was taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Columbia Heights, Minnesota, on January 20.

He was apprehended wearing a bunny–shaped blue beanie and a Spider–Man backpack, with images from his arrest going viral and sparking backlash across both aisles.

The little boy and his father Adrián Alexander Conejo Arias were taken to a detention facility more than 1,000 miles away in Texas.

They were released on Sunday and returned home – but the federal government filed a motion on Wednesday to expedite their deportation proceedings.

Lawyers from the DHS have asked to terminate the family's asylum case, which would subsequently remove him from the country. 

The family's immigration attorney, Danielle Molliver, called the government's request 'retaliatory.' 

'It's really frustrating as an attorney, because they keep throwing new obstacles in our way,' she told Minnesota Public Radio. 'There's absolutely no reason that this should be expedited. It's not very common.' 

 

Kristi Noem's Department of Homeland Security filed a motion on Wednesday to fast-track the deportation of Liam and his father

 

DHS assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin told the Daily Mail: 'These are regular removal proceedings. This is standard procedure and there is nothing retaliatory about enforcing the nation's immigration laws.'

She added: 'He will receive full due process.'

Liam's father said the family was living in 'fear' while waiting to see how the deportation proceedings played out.

'The government is moving many pieces,' Arias told MPR. 'It's doing everything possible to do us harm, so that they'll probably deport us.'

The family cannot be deported to their home country of Ecuador, according to their lawyer. They are able to apply for asylum in a third country.

Government lawyers argued that Liam's father entered the US illegally from Ecuador in December 2024.

They said Arias and his son were not in the country legally after their immigration parole expired in April.

On the other hand, the family's lawyer claimed he had an asylum claim pending allowing him to remain in the country.

 

Images from Liam's arrest with the little boy donning a bunny–shaped blue beanie and sporting a Spider–Man backpack went viral

 

Liam and his father were held at the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, near San Antonio, after being detained.

Arias said Liam appeared to be traumatized following his arrest and stint in the immigrant detention center.

'He hasn't been the same since this all happened,' Arias told Telemundo. 'He calls me when he wakes up and says, 'Daddy, daddy,' so I have to go to him.'

The father added that the boy was scared that ICE would arrest him and his family again.

Erika Ramos, the mother, claimed the circumstances inside the center were 'deeply concerning.'

'Liam is getting sick because the food they receive is not of good quality,' she told MPR. 'He has stomach pain, he's vomiting, he has a fever and he no longer wants to eat.'

On Saturday morning, US District Judge Fred Biery ordered that the father and son be freed 'as soon as practicable.'

 

Adrián Alexander Conejo Arias, Liam's father, said the little boy was traumatized after being arrested by ICE and fearful that it could happen again

 

Biery appeared to take aim at the Trump administration's immigration crackdown as he demanded the release.

He wrote: 'The case has its genesis in the ill–conceived and incompetently–implemented government pursuit of daily deportation quotas, apparently even if it requires traumatizing children.'

Liam and his dad returned to Minnesota on Sunday. They were personally escorted home by Texas Congressman Joaquin Castro, who had visited them while detained.

The Trump administration previously claimed that Liam's dad was a 'criminal illegal alien' who 'abandoned his child as he fled from ICE officers.'

Immigration officials were making sure that the child was 'kept safe in the bitter cold,' ICE wrote on X.

The agency said they made 'multiple attempts to get the family inside the house to take custody of the child' and claimed they refused.

'The father told officers he wanted the child to remain with him,' the agency alleged.

The Daily Mail has reached out to Molliver, the family's immigration attorney, for comment.

THAT TAPEWORM IN TRUMP'S BRAIN AT WORK ... TRUMP'S POST IS NOT ONLY DOWNRIGHT RACIST, BUT IT'S ALSO A GROSS INSULT TO APES

White House deletes video showing Obamas as apes after key ally condemns meme as ‘most racist thing I’ve seen’

By Josh Christenson

 

New York Post

Feb 6, 2026 

 

 

The President received widespread backlash over accusations of racism after he posted a video depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as apes

WASHINGTON — The White House deleted a meme video posted on President Trump’s Truth Social that depicted former President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, as apes — after GOP Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) called the clip the “most racist thing I’ve seen” and demanded it be taken down.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt initially defended the post and accused critics of fomenting “fake outrage” — but the video was taken down a little before noon Friday.

A White House official added that a staffer had “erroneously made the post. It has been taken down.”

 

Senator Tim Scott called the video 'the most racist thing I've seen out of this White House'

 

Scott, the highest-ranking black Republican in Congress, chided the White House earlier on X: “Praying it [the post] was fake because it’s the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House. The President should remove it.”

“The President’s post is wrong and incredibly offensive — whether intentional or a mistake — and should be deleted immediately with an apology offered,” added Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY).

Georgia conservative activist Debbie Dooley also wrote on X she was “horrified” by the video.

“I am no fan of the Obamas, but the graphic designer that created the video that shows The Obamas as apes needs to be fired and banned from the White House,” she said.

“This is from an internet meme video depicting President Trump as the King of the Jungle and Democrats as characters from ‘The Lion King,’” press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a Friday statement.

Dooley was one of the original co-founders of the Tea Party movement that helped House Republicans retake the majority under the 44th president in the 2010 midterms.

“This is from an internet meme video depicting President Trump as the King of the Jungle and Democrats as characters from ‘The Lion King,’” press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in an earlier statement.

“Please stop the fake outrage and report on something today that actually matters to the American public.”

The roughly one-minute video, which appeared on Trump’s Truth Social account late Thursday but was created by an anonymous X account, was mostly focused on claims of vote-rigging in the 2020 election — but showed AI-generated images of the Obamas as apes while the song “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” played in the background.

It was pulled from a longer video depicting prominent Democrats — including former President Joe Biden, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and California Gov. Gavin Newsom — as characters from the animated Disney film.

Biden appeared as a chimp, Schumer as a zebra and Newsom seemed to be an impala.

“Disgusting behavior by the President. Every single Republican must denounce this. Now,” Newsom’s office’s X account posted.

Democratic Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker also appeared in the video as an elephant, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), who is also black, was portrayed as a meerkat and former Vice President Kamala Harris was a turtle.

“President Trump: King of the Jungle,” read the original post, most of the footage from which did not make it into the Truth Social video.

The X account behind the memes had also produced an AI-generated video of Trump dressed as a fighter pilot and cruising over “No Kings” protesters in a jet that dumped raw sewage on them.

Amid last year’s government shutdown, the president also trolled Jeffries by using meme fakery to depict the House Democratic leader wearing a sombrero in a video while mariachi music played in the background.

The House Democratic leader called that post racist as well.

Trump admitted to NBC News in an interview recorded Wednesday that he “sometimes will retweet” or “retruth” posts that he doesn’t verify first — including claims about the hacking of voting machines by foreign actors.

Reps for the Obamas did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

NOT NETANYAHU'S FINEST MOMENT

Abraham Accords on brink of collapse as UAE loses patience with Netanyahu

Exclusive investigation exposes how extremist rhetoric, botched business deals, and diplomatic failures have pushed the UAE, Israel's most important Arab ally, toward the breaking point.

 

by Itay Ilnai  

 

Israel Hayom

Feb 6, 2026

 

 

 

If the Abraham Accords ever stood on the edge of collapse, it happened on September 9, 2025. That day, Israeli Air Force jets bombed a building in Doha, Qatar's capital, where Hamas leaders had gathered. The shockwaves from the historic strike reverberated clearly 310 miles (500 kilometers) away in Abu Dhabi, the UAE capital. They violently shook the walls of President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed's palace.

"He very much disliked the fact that Israel rampages with its aircraft wherever it wants," said an Israeli official, a senior defense figure until recently, who maintains close ties with Abu Dhabi's political leadership and has met personally with bin Zayed. "It touched him."

Following the Israeli strike, the furious bin Zayed convened an emergency meeting to discuss the UAE's response options – the dominant country on the Arab side of the Abraham Accords. As Israel Hayom first reported, one option raised at the table was a dramatic decision to freeze the accords. "This was the biggest scratch the Abraham Accords have encountered until now," said another Israeli official who has maintained contact with the UAE security leadership for years.

The option to freeze the Abraham Accords did come up at that Abu Dhabi meeting, but ultimately came off the table. Still, on the Emirates' scale – skilled statesmen who usually conduct themselves in a measured and moderate manner – their response to the Doha attack was wild. "A crude and cowardly move, a reckless and aggressive act," bin Zayed described the strike in an official statement issued by the Emirati foreign ministry that same day.

The next day, Israeli defense industries' participation in the air show scheduled in Dubai was canceled, and later the Israeli ambassador, Yossi Shelley, was summoned for a reprimand. "Israel's aggressive and provocative behavior establishes an unacceptable reality," he was told.

However, the most significant diplomatic step bin Zayed took was his decision to fly the day after the Doha strike for a solidarity visit to Qatar. For bin Zayed – who marked the Muslim Brotherhood as his country's greatest enemy, participated in the Arab boycott of Qatar from 2017 to 2020, and views the Gulf state as one of the main threats to Emirati national security – the Qatar visit was a glaring message to Israel that enough is enough.

The crisis surrounding the Doha strike was indeed the peak moment – or more precisely, the low point – in relations between Israel and the UAE since signing the Abraham Accords, but it did not occur in a vacuum. An Israel Hayom investigation, based on conversations with figures in Israel and the Emirates, reveals that for a long time, the palace in Abu Dhabi has felt deep frustration and disappointment with Jerusalem, questioning the benefit they gain from the Abraham Accords. Behind this stand a series of failed economic deals, an ambassador who evokes negative emotions, extremist statements by government ministers, unclear Israeli policy regarding Gaza's future and Judea and Samaria – and no small amount of suspicion toward Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The Emiratis themselves, in keeping with their diplomatic character, will not openly admit their displeasure with Israel, but their patience appears to be running out. A foreign figure recently asked whether the UAE's relationship with Israel is realizing its full potential responded with three words: Not even close.

Below the radar

True, Israel has gained tremendously from the Abraham Accords and normalization with the UAE, and vice versa. The diplomatic breakthrough positioned both countries as regional powers with stability and served as a significant counterweight to Iran's expanding influence. "The Emiratis even talk in closed rooms about establishing a Middle East NATO, with Jewish and Muslim soldiers," said a former senior security official who maintains contacts with Abu Dhabi.

Economically, the Emirates ranks ninth among countries exporting to Israel in 2024, and trade between the countries totals more than 10 billion shekels ($2.8 billion) annually. The tourism industry to Dubai thrives, and it seems every other Israeli has already visited the city on the Persian Gulf's shores. Emirati airlines operate about 120 flights per month to Israel and were the only foreign carriers that did not stop flying to Ben Gurion Airport since October 7, except during security escalations such as the war with Iran.

One Israeli who recently flew to the Emirates is Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar, who has visited the country three times since entering office, more than any other country. As we reveal for the first time, Sa'ar's latest Emirates visit occurred a few weeks ago and has remained below the radar due to its sensitivity. Security cooperation between the countries also conducts most of its business below the radar, which has helped relations weather "tension points," according to an Emirati official.

However, from the Emirates' perspective, cooperation with Israel has exacted a heavy price. From the moment the Abraham Accords were exposed, many of their Muslim brethren have perceived them as assisting Israel in its struggle against Palestinians and Arabs. "They call us traitors," an Emirati official frankly admits. Recently, the Emirates began wondering whether this heavy price is worth clinging to the Abraham Accords.

"The Abraham Accords put the Emirates on the radar of the Iranians and other Muslim countries. For them, it was a move with many risks," said a senior figure in the cyber industry who has worked with the Emirates for many years. "But when I ask the Emiratis what they gained from the Abraham Accords, their answer is 'a 450% growth in terror attack warnings.' In the 12-day war (the June 2025 Iran-Israel conflict), for example, there were hundreds of Iranian attempts to harm Israelis on Emirati soil, and the Emiratis are overwhelmed with this.

"On the other hand, economically and politically, they are not receiving everything they can from Israel. They are in a mode where they are also being driven out of town and eating the rotten fish."

The situation has worsened since October 7, mainly due to allegations of "genocide" Israel is committing in Gaza, which echoed in the Arab world and penetrated Emirati society itself. "Senior Emiratis control their country very well, but they also hear voices from their people, who identify with the Palestinians in Gaza, and this puts a lot of pressure on them," an Israeli official said. "This pressure slows down the tightening of ties between governments and also between people."

According to a long line of experts and Israeli figures operating in the Emirates, the Abraham Accords are far from yielding the promise embedded in them. "The relationship between Israel and the Emirates has strategic national potential unlike any other, but it is being missed," one of them said.

"The potential for security-technological cooperation between Israel and the Emirates is also far from realization, and that's a shame," agreed Shalev Hulio, CEO of DREAM and one who maintains close contacts with security figures in the Emirates since his previous company, NSO's days. "The Emirates currently operates in a way very few countries know how to conduct, with long-term thinking, investment in advanced technologies, and the ability to move entire systems very quickly. If there is a country aiming to become the next 'Startup Nation,' the Emirates is definitely there."

"The UAE is not an empty ocean. The whole world is eyeing cooperation with them, and if Israel does not do so, they will cooperate with other countries. We have a lot to lose," joined an Israeli official who previously served in an official capacity in one of the Gulf states. "We have achieved much from contact with them, but if we had behaved correctly, we could have achieved twice as much. All the current government lacks is to build trust with them, really."

The basis of suspicion

The word "trust" keeps recurring in the many conversations we have had in recent weeks about Israeli-UAE relations. Usually, it is associated with the name "Netanyahu." Paradoxically, it seems the one struggling to gain the Emirates' trust is precisely the man who signed the Abraham Accords with them. One of the clearest signs of this is that, more than five years after signing the accords, Netanyahu has not been invited for an official visit to the Emirates. Even President bin Zayed's historic visit to Jerusalem, whose details had already been finalized during the previous government's tenure, was canceled by the current government.

While Netanyahu's visit to the Emirates lingers, Naftali Bennett did visit there once, as prime minister, and once about a year ago as a private citizen. On both occasions, he met with Sheikh bin Zayed. Recently, Bennett met with bin Zayed again, secretly, for the third time. Yair Lapid also visited Abu Dhabi, once as foreign minister and once as opposition leader.

According to an Emirati official, the timing of Netanyahu's official visit to Abu Dhabi has not yet been finalized. He compared it to going to the beach – "You go to the beach to enjoy, right? You would not go to the sea on a stormy day, with strong wind and rain. In the current climate it would not be right for the Emirates to invite Netanyahu for a visit. This would only fuel conspiracy theories in the Arab street that the Emirates is working hand in hand with Israel to bomb Gaza and so on."

Israeli officials we spoke with claim Netanyahu holds many shares in creating that stormy "climate." "After the Abraham Accords, in the half-year Netanyahu was still in power, relations experienced a honeymoon," said a figure who speaks with many Emiratis daily. "This continued under the Bennett-Lapid government, which enjoyed the accords' fruits. But since Netanyahu's return to power in 2022, there has been widespread suspicion toward him in the Emirates.

"When the judicial reform began, obviously, that itself did not move them. But they wanted relations with a country whose stability they understand, and suddenly they find Israel drowning in protests. Also on October 7, the Emirates' support for Israel was uncompromising. But as the fighting in Gaza continued, the IDF's aggressive conduct and lack of understanding where Israel is heading did not make them happy."

Several Israeli sources we spoke with agree that what infuriated the Emirates more than anything were extremist statements by government ministers, such as Amichai Eliyahu, who raised the possibility "to drop an atomic bomb on Gaza," and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who suggested to their Saudi neighbors "to continue riding camels in the desert."

Knesset members from Likud who called "to burn Gaza" or "starve" Gazans also did not help diplomatic relations with Abu Dhabi. The Foreign Ministry tore its hair after these statements and tried to explain to the Emiratis that Israel is a democratic country with freedom of expression, where one cannot control every minister's statement. It is not certain that this argument was understood.

"Recently, I sat with one of the emirs' sons, who told me, 'I do not understand – your ministers talk about erasing Gaza and taking over the Temple Mount. Is this really the Israeli position?'" an Israeli official said. "The Emiratis are by their definition a peace-pursuing people, truly neutral. They went with Israel into an alliance of moderates, and suddenly they find Israel as a psychotic player in the Middle East. This stresses them very much."

"In closed conversations, the Emiratis express shock and astonishment at ministers' statements, especially from right-wing parties," said Dr. Yaoz Sever, chairman of AGC consulting firm and chairman of the Israel-Gulf States Chamber of Commerce, who conducts business with the Emiratis daily. "They cannot understand whether these positions represent the people. But since the Emiratis are people who express themselves delicately, their displeasure is mainly expressed in the fact that Netanyahu has not yet been invited to the Emirates. This is the Emirates' quiet and so dignified way of telling Israel 'we are not satisfied.'"

"The rise of the current right-wing government caused significant erosion in relations," agreed Dr. Moran Zaga, lecturer and researcher at the University of Haifa and expert on Gulf states. "Businesses, official visits, and additional contacts slowed or stopped. What is being missed at the first level is the personal connection between leaders. Gulf politics is fundamentally based on personal and tribal connections, and on top of these foundations, additional layers of ideology, pragmatism, and nationalism were built. But the original structure still sets the rules.

"Look, for example, at the warm connection Trump managed to create with Saudi ruler bin Salman. Therefor,e we see to this day how certain Israeli figures receive a warm embrace, while others are pushed out. Sometimes this is expressed in preference for an Israeli opposition figure, simply because the personal connection with him is stronger."

In the complex reality of the Middle East, the October 7 war also gave Israel an opportunity to upgrade its relations with the Emirates, a country whose senior officials hate Hamas no less than we do. "October 7 shook them on insane levels," said an Israeli official who knows the Emirates well. "Hostage release is in their discourse at such a level that on the day the last hostages are released, they will stop everything and go to television. On the other hand, the humanitarian situation in Gaza is difficult for them."

The Emiratis were indeed the main force that mobilized to finance and ship humanitarian aid to Gaza during the war. This move allowed them to prove their concern for the Palestinian population while allowing Israel to continue conducting fighting in the Strip under international pressure. "The thing that succeeds most today in the Israel-UAE relationship is the humanitarian effort in Gaza. There, surprisingly, there is the most fruitful cooperation," said Dr. Zaga. "The Emirates exploit the contact with us to break through and lead the humanitarian arena in Gaza, and they are very proud of it."

At least one figure in the IDF leadership tried at the war's beginning to leverage the interest and harness the Emirates to the day-after issue. "The Emiratis were ready to train Palestinian security mechanisms' personnel so they would enter the Strip," he said. "But in Israel, the Palestinian Authority is taboo to mention. Instead, the Israeli government was finally forced to surrender to American dictates and bring Qatar and Turkey into the Strip, which support the Muslim Brotherhood and constitute one of the greatest threats to the Emirates."

In contrast, official Israeli figures claim the Emiratis are now reaping the seeds they planted in Gaza – while the Israeli government tries as much as possible to reduce Qatari and Turkish involvement in the Strip's rehabilitation, the political echelon encourages Emirati elements to enter the Strip, especially regarding education. As we now reveal, one aspiration is for the Emirates to establish in IDF-controlled areas a network of educational institutions, where they will exploit the experience they accumulated in de-radicalization to influence Gaza's next generation.

"The Emirates have a central role in the day after," one official we spoke with said. "They understood long ago that Islamic education can take the country to bad places, so they hired British and American kindergarten teachers and teachers, replaced the educational staff in the kingdom, and thus grew an educated and tolerant generation in a Muslim country. This thing can also happen in Gaza."

The Emirates are so zealous about their education that early this month it was published that they stopped government subsidies granted to students going to study at British universities due to concerns about Islamic radicalization and Muslim Brotherhood influence on students in the European country.

"To build trust bridges"

Israeli-UAE relations have already known ups and downs. In 2011, the Mossad assassinated senior Hamas figure Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in a Dubai hotel, causing a break in the secret relations conducted until then between the countries. The connection was restored mainly through a series of security deals conducted underground, including, among other things, the Emirates' purchase of NSO's "Pegasus" offensive cyber software.

Later, Israeli defense industries entered the picture, such as Rafael and Elbit. "Pegasus and the defense industries caused intimate relations to tighten between the Israeli security system and the Emirati one," an Israeli official said. "This also created a direct line between leaders. The security successes led to contacts in fields like medicine, agriculture, and energy, which required normalization agreements to realize. The sense of intimacy and need for cooperation above the radar formed the basis for the Abraham Accords."

The Abraham Accords served the Emirates not only on the practical level but also strategically. "Its main motive for entering the accords was to further expand its influence in the Levant and exploit Saudi distance from this arena," said Dr. Zaga. "In addition, Abu Dhabi leadership explained it saw the Abraham Accords as leverage for creating a diplomatic breakthrough between Israel and the Palestinians. But in practice the opposite happened."

The influence race and aspiration for an arrangement with the Palestinians were also the reasons the Emirates joined the "Negev Forum," which united Abraham Accords countries alongside the US and Egypt and aimed to advance political, security, and economic initiatives in the region. But after one publicized summit during the Bennett-Lapid government, the forum's activity ceased and was not renewed under Netanyahu's government. "This is because these countries quickly despaired after a period of tension in the Palestinian arena and difficulty creating legitimacy in the Arab street," Zaga explained.

Another regional initiative that got stuck is the "water for electricity" project, aimed at fighting the climate crisis by purchasing green electricity from Jordan in exchange for exporting desalinated water from Israel with Emirati financing. Emirati officials recently said they are very disappointed that the project is not advancing, partly due to Israeli delays. The Emirates' frustration with regional cooperation with Israel was expressed about three months ago by Dr. Ali Rashid Al Nuaimi, member of the Federal National Council. At the Knesset caucus conference for promoting regional security, he scolded participants via video call – "All Israeli politicians must understand that normalization is not peace, but only an agreement on a piece of paper. What is needed is to build bridges of trust, understanding, and respect."

Although peace efforts between leaders experience turbulence, direct meetings between Israeli entrepreneurs and Emirati investors have helped strengthen ties at the private level. "The Emiratis are amazing hosts, unusually educated, men of the world, and know exactly what they want," said Dr. Sever, whose business activity is concentrated in the Gulf region. "But unlike the Israeli businessman, their main goal is not 'to bring the hit.' Despite being wealthy, the Emiratis do not like wasting money. Business with them is conducted very carefully because many people from all over the world come to the Gulf region, and Dubai in particular, thinking they will make easy money. The reality on the ground is completely different."

"The UAE is one of the best countries in the world to do business in. However, the Emirati investor is educated, sophisticated, and careful, and is likely already in business with superpowers such as the US, Russia, China, and India. Therefore, he will not invest in a deal that is not sustainable," joined Saud Sakher, an engineer and businessman resident of Abu Dhabi who invests in Israeli companies.

Saud, who came to Israel in the first delegation to leave Abu Dhabi after signing the accords, is a good example of the warm connection that can form between Israelis and Emiratis. On his first visit here he visited the Western Wall, Yeruham, and Nazareth, and on his second visit already managed to participate in two weddings, a bar mitzvah, and a Hanukkah candle-lighting ceremony. "I saw the Israeli community as it is, in its most distilled form – Jews, Druze, Muslims, and Christians living together. True, not everything is perfect, but overall everyone gets along," he said in a conversation conducted in English spiced with Hebrew words. "The Abraham Accords survived the test of October 7, an event that connected the Emirati people to the Israeli people. The connection between the peoples also survived the Gaza war. We want the Abraham Accords to push our countries forward."

"The UAE is not an empty ocean. The whole world is eyeing cooperation with them, and if Israel does not do so, they will cooperate with other countries. We have a lot to lose. All the current government lacks is to build trust with them, really."

"The Emiratis pride themselves on having residents from all countries in the world, and therefore they know how to give respect to every nation and religion," Sever said. "If you arrive in Dubai during Ramadan, it will be decorated accordingly; at Christmas, you will find Christmas trees there; at Hanukkah, menorahs; at Diwali, you will feel like you are in Delhi; and at Halloween, everyone on the street will be in costume. The Emiratis participate in these celebrations happily and enjoy congratulating everyone. I would not call them 'liberal' in the Western sense, but they have a lot of tolerance."

"I am experiencing stormy divorce from the perception that there is an inseparable connection between democracy and liberalism. Precisely the non-democratic countries turn out to be liberal," said another Israeli who spends much of his time in the Emirates and is in contact with Abu Dhabi leadership. One of the moves that amazed this Israeli is the Emirates' decision to reduce its dependence on oil money. "The Emirates reduced state revenues from oil to only about 25% of total state revenues, thereby cutting their dependence on natural resources," he enthused. "In other words, the UAE's success does not stem only from money but also from leadership. The Emirates is not just Burj Khalifa, a Ferrari in the yard, and fancy malls. It is also a school for strategy, geopolitics, education, and leadership.

"Everything so lacking in Israel is found there. There is education cultivating the future generation and a country managed like a good high-tech company. It is a shame that in Israel they cannot understand this and cultivate the strategic connections with them. This is a miss."

Another matter missed in strategic and personal relations with the Emirates concerns the Israeli ambassador to the country. In early 2025, Netanyahu appointed Yossi Shelley, until then Prime Minister's Office director general and formerly Israel's ambassador to Brazil, as ambassador to the Emirates. Shortly afterward, Emirati security personnel complained that Shelley treated them disrespectfully. Israeli media even reported that following this, bin Zayed demanded Shelley be replaced with another ambassador and threatened to expel him from the country.

"They put a terrible ambassador there who almost ruined relations," an Israeli official in contact with the Abu Dhabi palace said. "They looked at him and said, 'What, are the Israelis idiots? Is this who they sent here?' This is another example of how the state is missing the strategic connection with the Emirates." Several officials we spoke with claim that since the affair, Shelley struggles to fulfill his mission. "He does manage to mediate business and economic contacts, but he has no access to the political leadership," one of them said. "He is 'dead man walking.'"

How to proceed?

Failure to recognize the potential embedded in Israeli-UAE relations is also evident in the economic dimension. Though trade volumes between the countries have grown, the wealth is not distributed symmetrically. "In practice, the relationship is almost one-sided," said Oren Helman, CEO of the Israel-Gulf States Chamber of Commerce. "There are many Israeli companies active in the Emirates, exploiting the tax breaks there and financial investments in Israeli technology. The problem is that it is hard to bring the Emiratis to Israel."

In this situation, the State of Israel is losing considerable tax revenue. Several huge investments the Emirates tried to make in Israel also ended in disappointment from the Emirati perspective. This happened for example when the DP World group, controlled by Dubai government, withdrew from the tender to privatize Haifa port after its participation was disqualified for security reasons, and when the decision by Emirati funds to invest $2.3 billion in purchasing parts of the Phoenix Group was blocked due to regulatory restrictions Israel imposed. In both cases it was explained after the fact that canceling the deals stemmed from concern that Israeli pension funds and strategic assets would be managed by a foreign country, especially an Arab one. The Emirates did not like this explanation.

The enormous investment the Emirates planned in the EAPC (Europe Asia Pipeline Company), a project that would significantly increase fuel transport capacity between Eilat and Ashkelon, also came to nothing, this time due to civil-environmental protest, something the Emiratis are a bit less accustomed to. "I am not entering Israel's strategic interests; it is possible the considerations for canceling these investments were justified," said Dr. Zaga, "but because of this and additional reasons, the Abraham Accords are now perceived in the Arab world as a process in decline, despite their survival and despite continuing cooperation."

As Israel aspires to expand the Abraham Accords and recruit Saudi Arabia and additional giant Muslim countries to them, Zaga proposes first concentrating on rehabilitating the existing. "To attract other countries, strong and important to Israel," she said, "there is first of all importance in improving relations and presenting a success story with the Emirates."

SENATOR GRAHAM DOES NOT PUT UP WITH LEBANON'S REFUSAL TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT HEZBOLLAH IS A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION

Graham walks out on Lebanese general: “Enough of the double speak on Hezbollah”

US senator demands Lebanon recognize Hezbollah as a terrorist group, questions army’s credibility as a partner.

 

Israel Today

Feb 6, 2026

 

 

 

US Senator Lindsey Graham speaks after meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at the presidential palace in Baabda, Lebanon August 26, 2025. 

 

In a sharp rebuke of Lebanon’s military leadership, US Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) abruptly ended a high-level meeting in Beirut after Lebanon’s top military commander refused to label Hezbollah a terrorist organization—despite decades of American policy that firmly states otherwise.

“I asked him point blank if he believes Hezbollah is a terrorist organization,” Graham said on Thursday, referring to his meeting with Gen. Rodolphe Haykal, chief of the Lebanese Armed Forces. “He said, ‘No, not in the context of Lebanon.’ With that, I ended the meeting.”

 

Lebanon’s Army Commander General Rodolphe Haykal. 

 

Graham’s early departure and public condemnation come at a time of heightened scrutiny over Lebanon’s commitments to disarm Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed group that has launched repeated rocket attacks on Israel and has been designated a terrorist organization by the United States since 1997.

“They are clearly a terrorist organization,” Graham continued. “Hezbollah has American blood on its hands. Just ask the US Marines.”

The senator was referencing the 1983 bombing of the US Marine barracks in Beirut, which killed 241 American service members and was carried out by Hezbollah operatives. “They have been designated as a foreign terrorist organization by both Republican and Democrat administrations—for good reason,” he stressed.

Not a reliable partner

Graham’s comments echo longstanding Israeli concerns that the Lebanese government is not doing enough to dismantle Hezbollah’s military infrastructure, particularly in southern Lebanon. Despite a ceasefire agreement reached in November 2024 that calls for Hezbollah’s full disarmament, Israeli officials say the terror group continues to rearm and rebuild with Iranian support.

In response to Lebanon’s ongoing disarmament plan—dubbed “Shield of the Homeland”—Israel has acknowledged some progress but insists it is far from sufficient. “Extensive Hezbollah military infrastructure still exists south of the Litani River,” Israel’s Foreign Ministry warned this month, noting that parts of the Lebanese army have even cooperated with Hezbollah in the past.

Graham, who serves on key Senate committees involved in foreign policy and defense, expressed deep skepticism about continuing American support for Lebanon’s military in light of its refusal to confront Hezbollah directly.

“As long as this attitude exists from the Lebanese Armed Forces, I don’t think we have a reliable partner in them,” he stated. “I am tired of the double speak in the Middle East. Too much is at stake.”

Graham’s forceful comments may foreshadow growing pressure in Washington to reassess US military aid to Lebanon—especially if the Lebanese Armed Forces are seen as unwilling or unable to stand apart from Hezbollah’s grip on the country’s security landscape.