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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A hidden synagogue in Dubai represents the first new Jewish house of worship on the Arabian Peninsula in decades, as ties between Gulf Arab states and Israel slowly warm.
In Dubai, the burgeoning Jewish community largely refrains from publicly showing its faith.
However, its existence and the tacit approval it has received from the government of the United Arab Emirates represent a slow rebirth of the community in the Persian Gulf, uprooted over the decades after the creation of Israel.
The United Arab Emirates' rulers have sought to boost the community by hosting interfaith events and pledging to build a massive multi-faith complex that includes a synagogue.
Ties between Gulf Arab states and Israel have warmed over mutual enmity of Iran, though concern about the Palestinians' future remains a wedge.
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