@NPR criticizes Israel for travel advisory to UAE - and excuses US for similar travel advisory

NPR reports on, and criticizes, Israel's advisory for citizens visiting the UAE and tourism operators in Israel:

Don't promote democracy, talk about the royal families or comment on treatment of foreign workers.

Israel is advising tourism professionals and businesspeople to avoid discussing those and other sensitive political topics with residents of the United Arab Emirates, as it protects its new peace deal with the Gulf Arab country and promotes new daily flights between Dubai and Tel Aviv, launched last week.

"United Arab Emirates: Do and Do Not," the tourism ministry's 29-page Hebrew-language advisory published Nov. 8, is the first public Israeli government comment on the issue of Emirati political freedoms, but it stops short of criticizing alleged abuses.

"The United Arab Emirates is not a democratic country and it is not acceptable to speak about democracies as a preferred model of government," the advisory says. It also recommends "not to speak to Emiratis about the royal families," "avoid speaking about local politics" and "avoid speaking about government or state policy towards foreign workers."

The ministry says the guidelines are not government policy but cultural sensitivity tips aimed primarily at Israeli tourism operators preparing to receive Emirati visitors, whenever Israel lifts its COVID-19 ban on incoming tourism.

... Analysts and activists in both Israel and the Gulf criticized the Israeli approach.

"Gulf citizens are worldly and engage in the topics that the Israeli government is steering its tourists from," says Bader Al-Saif, a Kuwait-based fellow with the Carnegie Middle East Center. "It's how one engages in these topics that would matter."

"The message is: be silent. If you want to go to the UAE, and have a collaboration with them, don't talk about anything that would light a fuse," says Eitay Mack, a left-wing Israeli human rights lawyer.

Every country has travel advisories. The US State Department warns visitors against making derogatory comments about the UAE. It adds, "The UAE has strict laws regarding use of the internet and social media. Individuals have been arrested and criminally convicted for posting information on social media sites that local authorities determined was disturbing to the order of the UAE. Users of social media should be cautious about online posting of information that might be deemed to insult or challenge the local or national government. Individuals should avoid posting insults or derogatory information about governments, institutions, or individuals."

The UK similarly has lots of travel warnings for the UAE: "Posting material (including videos and photographs) online that is critical of the UAE government, companies or individuals, or related to incidents in the UAE, or appearing to abuse/ridicule/criticise the country or its authorities, or that is culturally insensitive, may be considered a crime punishable under UAE law."

Canada: "It’s illegal to criticize or disrespect the UAE’s ruling families or political system."

So why is Israel singled out for criticism? NPR gives a laughable excuse: "The State Department's travel advisory for U.S. citizens in the UAE offers similar advice on behavior and dress, and warns travelers they could be arrested or deported for 'making derogatory statements about the UAE, the royal families, the local governments or other people.' But unlike Israel, the U.S. has also reported human rights concerns there."

The US is required to  monitor human rights issues in all countries to adhere to the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 and the Trade Act of 1974. That has nothing to do with giving advice on dealing with various local customs for travelers. Israel doesn't have that obligation. 

The UK issues a human rights report calling out abuses by specific countries - but doesn't say a negative word about the UAE. Canada doesn't even do that.

Where are the NPR stories about them?

The Israeli document is more comprehensive than a travel advisory, since it is also geared towards Israeli tourism professionals that will host UAE citizens. But this is advice on how to be polite with an expected influx of tourists with a culture that Israelis are not familiar with yet, not a warning not to discuss sensitive topics. NPR is framing this as if this pamphlet means that Israel is complicit with UAE's human rights abuses, and that is beyond dishonest.

This NPR report is a perfect example of media bias against Israel, blaming Israel for doing what every other Western nation does. 

(h/t Tomer Ilan)

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