Israeli envoy reportedly angers Emiratis with ‘undignified’ conduct at Abu Dhabi bar

Israel’s Ambassador to the UAE Yossi Shelley has reportedly upset his Emirati hosts over inappropriate conduct during an incident at a bar several months ago.

Shelley was out on a Friday night in Abu Dhabi with several friends and acted in an “undignified” manner, Channel 12 reports, citing three sources familiar with the incident, who said the Israeli envoy “crossed the boundaries of personal space”

Shelley’s personal security guards even reported the incident to their superiors.

The Emirati government got wind of the incident and is unhappy about it, but has refrained from lodging a formal complaint to Jerusalem, Channel 12 says.

An Emirati source tells the network that the government would have ordered Shelley to leave the country had it not been for his position.

Responding to the Channel 12 report, Shelley says in a statement that he was made aware of conduct that the Emiratis interpreted as disrespectful. He stresses that it took place at a private event and was not related to his work as ambassador. In light of the concern raised, he says he has taken the matter into consideration.