LimmudFest Nola 2023

The US-brokered (2020) Abraham Accords helped deliver unprecedented partnerships and bilateral agreements between Israel, Morocco, Sudan, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, which include novel cultural, strategic, tech, and economic exchanges. The new, yet rapidly growing Jewish community in Dubai, with more than 3,000 members, as well as synagogues and kosher restaurants, is just one unique marker of what is being termed the “new Middle East.” In this presentation, we will explore ways in which Israel and her regional allies are engaging in cultural diplomacy—like a series of extraordinary musical engagements and exchanges between Israel, the UAE, and Morocco—as they seek to unroot deeply entrenched mistrust between Israelis and Arab populations and encourage people-to-people relations.