Israeli and Emirati singers commemorate Holocaust in Abu Dhabi

Both Jewish and Arab Israelis gave speeches at the event, including Yoseph Haddad, chief executive of Together Vouch for Each Other, and Emirati, including political analyst Amjad Taha.

At the event, Taha, who has long advocated for Holocaust education in the Arab world, emphasized the need to continue education, build bridges between Arabs and Jews, and combat anti-Semitism. “If you want to fight anti-Semitism, the only way is to educate people… We need to educate people to make sure they never become radicalized. We need to educate people in society to make sure we don’t Deny the Holocaust as you did the Iranians [regime], Hamas, and others exploit the fact that people lack knowledge about the Holocaust to promote Holocaust denial. “

Yoseph Haddad echoed the sentiment, telling Ynet: “Last year, we were honored to bring the first delegation of Arab Israelis to Auschwitz to learn about the Holocaust and to take part in the March of the Living. .As proud Arabs and Israelis, we hope to build more connections with the rest of the Arab world, continuing on our path of promoting tolerance and Holocaust education.”

Haddad continued, “What better place to host an event like this than in Abu Dhabi, where we forge new ties with Israel and the UAE because of the changes in the Middle East? Together we are stronger, and Fight racism and anti-Semitism.”

However, the highlight of the evening was the participation of Emirati singer Ahmad Al Hosani and Israeli Jewish singer Nicole Raviv, who came to the UAE as part of the Together Vouch for Other delegation.

For almost two months, the two singers coordinated via Zoom and Whatsapp to learn each other’s national anthems, which were performed at the opening of the Holocaust Memorial event, surprising all attendees.

Al Hosani told Ynet that his desire to perform with an Israeli artist for the Holocaust remembrance was motivated by a genuine desire to “be part of a cause of global value that promotes peace for all.”

Raviv added, “I cried when I heard his voice [Ahmad] Sing the second line of Hatikvah, “nefesh yehudi” – the soul of the Jew. It’s hard to imagine that not so long ago he couldn’t accept his 2000-year-old hopes of being a free country while singing about the Zionist state and Jerusalem. I still can’t believe this is happening. “

It seemed that all the attendees felt this way—Muslim, Jew, Christian or Druze. “It’s hard to express how powerful it is to hear the Emiratis sing the Israeli national anthem and the Israelis sing the UAE national anthem. It’s a beautiful display of the tolerance that the group, and the UAE itself, are seeking to promote,” Haddad said.

Although Ahmad doesn’t speak Hebrew and Nicole doesn’t speak Arabic, the two performers spent hours rehearsing without ever meeting—and only at the delegation’s office the day before the show. It was the first time I rehearsed in person at the lunch meeting.

“Ahmed and I developed a friendship through Zoom calls and social media in the months leading up to my flight to Abu Dhabi. His support and encouragement to integrate me into his culture was heartwarming . Before our first meeting, we practiced online,” Nicole said.

(Ahmad Al Hosani and Nicole Raviv meet for the first time in Abu Dhabi. Source: Courtesy)

Regarding learning and playing the UAE national anthem in Arabic, Nicole told Ynet, “As an anthem singer for a major sports team in New York, I understand the power and importance of the national anthem and how it brings people together… when I hear it I shudder at the thought, and it became a mission for me. You can’t understand someone unless you’ve walked a mile in their shoes.” She added, “I love Arabic too — it has such a deep depth and soul, and has similarities to Hebrew.”

Al Hosani told Ynet that he hopes that through the performance, “people who watch us sing together will realize our collaboration and join us in our quest for peace and unity.”

The event concluded with the lighting of six memorial candles in memory of the six million Jews killed in the Holocaust, each lit by a delegation member or attendee from the UAE, and concluded with a duet performance by Raviv and Al Hosani, who sang Barbara Streisand and Josh Groban renditions of “Somewhere.”

Regarding the historic performance, Raviv told Ynet, “Music has the power to bridge cultural divides. The Abraham Accords opened a new chapter in Israel’s relations with Arab countries, and I look forward to other countries following this initiative. Jews, Israelis and It’s a win for women to have the opportunity to sing with Muslim singers.”

Disclosure: Emily Schrader is also a Together Vouch for Each volunteer