Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor, a prominent Dubai businessman, has taken aim at Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir over remarks calling for the killing of dozens of people in Gaza each night — putting an unusually pointed criticism from an influential Emirati voice on the record at a sensitive moment for the United Arab Emirates, which continues betting on close ties with Israel amid broader regional upheaval.

Details: In comments that surfaced on Aug. 16, Ben Gvir said in a podcast that Israel should carry out targeted killings in Gaza nightly, killing “30 to 40” people, including people he said were not worthy of life. The inflammatory statement came as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces pressure over his government’s handling of Gaza and resistance to a US-backed plan aimed at ending the conflict. 

Habtoor, who is chairman of the Al Habtoor Group, a Dubai-based conglomerate, responded in a lengthy post on X a day later, condemning the far-right national security minister’s comments. “If an official in the Israeli government can speak this way openly, without shame or fear of accountability, how can we, at the same time, be asked to speak of peace, negotiations and coexistence?” he wrote. 

At the same time, Habtoor also pointed to a joint statement by the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Turkey, Pakistan and Indonesia on Aug. 16 that rejected policies threatening Palestinian rights and undermining prospects for peace.