UAE President hosts US antisemitism envoy Yehuda Kaploun
The UAE has made interfaith dialogue and religious tolerance prominent elements of its diplomatic agenda
UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan hosted Ambassador Yehuda Kaploun, the US State Department’s special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism, on Thursday morning, a diplomatic source told i24NEWS.
Kaploun was seen leaving the UAE leader’s residence following the meeting.
The envoy also met with other rulers and senior government officials during his visit to the United Arab Emirates, according to the diplomatic source.
Kaploun’s office declined to comment on the meeting, saying it does not discuss the ambassador’s travel itinerary with the media. The State Department office led by Kaploun is responsible for advancing US efforts to confront antisemitism abroad.
Its work includes engaging foreign governments, monitoring antisemitic incidents and rhetoric, and promoting policies intended to protect Jewish communities and encourage religious tolerance.
Thursday’s meeting comes amid continued regional attention to antisemitism, religious coexistence and the role of education in countering prejudice.
Saudi Arabia has undertaken a broader, multiyear effort to revise school textbooks and remove content viewed as promoting religious intolerance. The initiative has been closely watched as the kingdom seeks to present a more moderate image and deepen its engagement with international partners.
The UAE, meanwhile, has made interfaith dialogue and religious tolerance prominent elements of its diplomatic agenda. It normalized relations with Israel in 2020 under the US-brokered Abraham Accords and has since developed formal diplomatic, commercial and security ties with the Jewish state.
Abu Dhabi has also promoted initiatives centered on coexistence, including the Abrahamic Family House, an interfaith complex containing a mosque, church and synagogue.