Celebrating Israel in the UAE, philanthropist Eitan Neishlos shares his vision for a new Middle East

Celebrating Israel’s 75th birthday in Abu Dhabi, Israeli philanthropist and businessman Eitan Neishlos shared his commitment to promoting peace and coexistence in the Middle East.

“I stand here before you today as a proud Israeli, as a proud Emirati resident, under the shaded palm of the Abraham Accords,” said Neishlos, Founder and President of Neishlos Foundation & Neishlos Capital. “These accords are a tremendous gift from the leadership of both our countries and the United Arab Emirates is leading the way and opening its doors towards peace and prosperity in our region. It is our duty as citizens, as residents, to adopt and pursue the values of these accords.”

Organized by the Embassy of Israel, the event marked the first Israel National Day reception in the UAE, representing the latest milestone for the Abraham Accords between the two countries. It was attended by over 600 guests, including UAE Minister of State Ahmed bin Ali Mohammed Al Sayegh, alongside other government officials, members of the UAE's diplomatic corps, business representatives, rabbis and leaders of the Jewish community in the country.

During his speech, Neishlos emphasized how the thriving commercial climate and conditions of the UAE have empowered both Neishlos Capital and its Foundation to carry out their mission at the highest level.

“We are investing our capital, we are investing our technology and we are investing our know-how into the FinTech and security sectors and we are doing so with our social consciousness fully intact,” he said. “But that is not all. Business must not be for profit alone.”

A businessman with decades of experience in Australia, South Africa and Israel, Neishlos has been heavily involved in projects related to financial inclusion in the developing world and innovating fintech with a social conscience, always pursuing a mission entrusted to him by his late grandmother: promoting tolerance and coexistence.

“Our philanthropic arm is deeply inspired by my late grandmother, Tamara of blessed memory, who at the tender age of 11 years old survived the Holocaust because the Chodosevitchs family saved her, paying the ultimate price and losing their lives while holding a six-month-old baby,” Neishlos recalled.

“They are righteous amongst the nations and their lives will not be in vain,” he added. “As God is my witness, I pledge my time, I pledge my money to promote peace and coexistence. And the best place to do that is here in the United Arab Emirates.”

Echoing Neishlos’ vision, the reception featured many powerful celebrations of peace and hope for a shared future: among others, Emirati singer Ahmed Al-Hosni and Israeli singer Nicole Raviv sang together for the first time the anthem of the United Arab Emirates ‘Aishi Biladi’ and the Israeli anthem ‘Hatikva’. Al-Hosni also performed the iconic Israeli song “You and I will change the world” singing in Hebrew and Arabic with the song’s composer Miki Gavrielov.