UAE blasts anti-Israel rioters for 'acts of vandalism' outside Damascus embassy

The United Arab Emirates condemned anti-Israel activists on Saturday for carrying out “acts of vandalism” outside the country’s embassy and its residence in the Syrian capital of Damascus. 

“The United Arab Emirates has strongly condemned and denounced the acts of rioting, attempted vandalism, and attacks targeting its embassy and the residence of the Head of Mission in Damascus, Syria. The UAE reaffirmed its categorical rejection and condemnation of such unacceptable acts, including those directed against its national symbols,” the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated.

The Emirati foreign ministry called on the Syrian government to uphold its obligation under international law to secure the country’s embassy in Damascus. They also demanded that Syrian authorities investigate and punish the perpetrators behind the acts of vandalism. 

سوريون يقتحمون السفارة الإماراتية في دمشق، ويرفعون العلم الفلسطيني فوقها، خلال تظاهرات داعمة لفلسطين وتطالب الدول العربية بالتحرك لنصرة الأسرى وفتح المسجد الأقصى. pic.twitter.com/LIqZt47PBa

— قناة القدس (@livequds) April 4, 2026

Multiple anti-UAE demonstrations have been held in Syria demanding the release of former Syrian rebel leader Essam al-Buwaydhani, who was arrested in Dubai last April. During the protests, some demonstrators also chanted “the Zionist embassy,” likely reflecting anger over the UAE’s close diplomatic ties with Israel. The UAE and Israel established full relations in 2020 under the US-brokered Abraham Accords.

Israel does not maintain an embassy in Damascus, as Syria and Israel remain formally at war and Damascus has never recognized Israel. Meanwhile, the protests in Syria have intensified following the Israeli Knesset’s recent passage of a death penalty law for terrorists in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) who murder Israelis.

Footage from the riots outside the UAE embassy showed protesters waving the flags of Syria, the Palestinian Authority, and the al-Qaeda affiliated Jihadist al-Nusra Front and its forerunner Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, whose leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, became Syria’s current president after the former Assad regime was toppled in December 2024. 

Syrian security officers detained one protester who held a Palestinian Authority flag while climbing the UAE embassy. Footage showed that the Syrian officer who removed the flag, kissed it before arresting the perpetrator. 

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a Syrian security official told Reuters that the individuals who attempted to storm the Emirati embassy belonged to a larger anti-Israel demonstration that was held in the nearby Umayyad Square. 

“Internal security forces prevented them from doing so and dealt with the situation,” the Syrian official stated. 

The Syrian foreign ministry refrained from directly addressing the violent riot outside the Emirati embassy. However, in a statement released on Friday evening, the foreign ministry in Damascus said it took a “firm and unwavering stance” against any attempts to approach embassies and diplomatic missions in the country. 

Al-Sharaa has tried to downplay his Jihadist history and presented himself to the Western world as a voice of alleged moderation and peace. He claimed during a recent visit to the United Kingdom that normalization talks with Israel collapsed at the last minute due to the Israeli government. 

“We tried direct and indirect dialogue and negotiations,” Al-Sharaa told the audience during an event at the Chatham House Royal Institute of International Affairs in London. “We reached good points, but Israel changed its mind at the last minute."

While welcoming the prospects of improved ties with Syria, Israeli leaders remain skeptical and doubt that al-Sharaa has truly transformed from an anti-Jewish Jihadist to a genuine peacemaker. Furthermore, Christian and Druze minorities in Syria have warned that they feel threatened by al-Sharaa’s Islamist regime after multiple attacks on the Christian and Druze communities.