Russian Chief Rabbi Berel Lazar has revealed that the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (who is de facto ruler of the UAE) accepted his request for Emirati forces engaged in Yemen’s civil war to rescue two Jewish families trapped there (11 people in all).

Rabbi Lazar revealed the rescue in a public letter of thanks to the crown prince that read:

“The noble act of saving lives will further raise the fortunes, with God’s help, of the United Arab Emirates. Bless the country, bless those who stand at its head, bless its inhabitants, and they will see blessing in all their deeds and at every step. These days the whole world sees that the hand of the United Arab Emirates is extended in peace to bring about unity between the peoples”

Emirati news agencies reported already two weeks ago on the rescue of one of the Jewish families in question, who were brought to Abu Dhabi to be reunited with relatives who had managed to flee Yemen many years earlier. They hadn’t seen each other in 15 years before being reunited by their new Arab friends in the Gulf. At the time, the family told local news: “This is a dream fulfilled. We thank the UAE for making this family reunion possible. This is an example of the UAE’s noble values of tolerance and coexistence.”