According to the UAE's embassy in the US, the Holocaust will now be covered in history lectures in basic and secondary schools all across the nation.
The embassy gave no information regarding the curriculum, and the Emirates, a union of seven sheikhdoms, did not immediately confirm the news on Monday.
The declaration, however, comes after President Donald Trump's administration's arrangement that saw the UAE and Israel reestablish relations in 2020.
The embassy tweeted that "(the UAE) will now include the Holocaust in the curriculum for basic and secondary schools" in reference to the historic normalisation agreement that saw Bahrain and eventually Morocco also recognise Israel.
The announcement was hailed by Ambassador Deborah E. Lipstadt, the US Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism, in her own tweet.
Pleased to see this important step by the United Arab Emirates. Holocaust education is an imperative for humanity and too many countries, for too long, continue to downplay the Shoah for political reasons. I commend the UAE for this step and expect others to follow suit soon. https://t.co/2r8qGp3lSp
— Special Envoy Deborah Lipstadt (@StateSEAS) January 6, 2023
The announcement was hailed by Ambassador Deborah E. Lipstadt, the US Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism, in her own tweet.
Using the Hebrew name for the Holocaust, Ms. Lipstadt added, "Holocaust education is an essential for mankind and too many governments, for too long, have continued to belittle the Shoah for political reasons."
"I applaud the UAE for taking this action and anticipate others doing the same soon."
The announcement comes before this week's Negev Forum Working Groups meeting in Abu Dhabi, which resulted from the normalisation.
Representatives from Bahrain, Egypt, Israel, Morocco, the United Arab Emirates, and the US will attend the meeting. Israel has long been recognised by Egypt diplomatically.
Six million European Jews were brutally murdered by the Nazis during the Second World War. Anyone of Jewish ancestry is automatically granted citizenship in Israel, which was established in 1948 as a safe haven for Jews following the Holocaust.
Due to Israel's long-standing occupation of territory that the Palestinians aspire for a future state, other Arab countries have declined to recognise it internationally.
The UAE's announcement also comes after it and several Arab countries denounced an Israeli cabinet official who had visited a sensitive holy site in Jerusalem for the first time since Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's new far-right coalition entered office.
The location, which Muslims refer to as the Noble Sanctuary and Jews as the Temple Mount, is the holiest place in Judaism and is where the ancient biblical Temples once stood.
The Al Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest place in Islam, is now housed there.
Jews have been permitted to visit but not to pray there since Israel took control of the location in 1967.
In the wake of the historic #AbrahamAccords, 🇦🇪 will now include the Holocaust in the curriculum for primary and secondary schools.“Memorializing the victims of the Holocaust is crucial,” said Ali Al Nuaimi, one of the Emirati brokers of the Accords. https://t.co/itP6WlX8j5— UAE Embassy US (@UAEEmbassyUS) January 5, 2023
