In a bold demonstration of dissent, activists in London have transformed the facade of the United Arab Emirates embassy, replacing its official designation with a politically charged placard labeling it the ‘Embassy of the United Arab Zionists’ in both English and Hebrew. The protest, organized by the youth-led movement ‘Deenified’, featured masked participants carrying symbolic props including shrouded toy infants and placards accusing the UAE of ‘Supporting Genocides in Sudan and Gaza’.
The demonstration reflects escalating frustration toward Arab nations that normalized relations with Israel through the US-brokered Abraham Accords of 2020. The UAE, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan established formal diplomatic and trade ties with Israel, drawing renewed criticism amid Israel’s military actions in Gaza and broader regional conflicts.
Simultaneously, the UAE faces mounting condemnation for its alleged role in Sudan’s civil war. Activists have launched boycott campaigns and public awareness efforts, including a prominent Oxford Street billboard highlighting the juxtaposition between Dubai’s luxury image and the humanitarian crisis in Sudan. According to Middle East Eye reports, the UAE has been supplying weapons to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group through complex transnational networks.
The Sudan conflict, erupting in April 2023 from power struggles between national armed forces and the RSF, has resulted in catastrophic human losses exceeding 150,000 fatalities and displaced approximately 14 million people, creating one of the world’s most severe humanitarian disasters.