The local court in Abu Dhabi issued a fine on Thursday of 65,000 dirhams, which is equivalent to roughly NIS 58,000, to Israeli citizen Nachman Gabai who has been accused of assaulting police officers at the airport.
This came after the court decided against imprisonment and instead ordered him to be deported from the country. As of Thursday, ten days since the proceedings began, Gabai is awaiting his flight home to Israel.
The sentence was handed down at the beginning of the week, but the release was delayed until Gabai's family raised the money. Due to the entanglement, his plan to travel to India was cut short, and he will return to Israel.
Gabai's release efforts were assisted by Israeli Consul Danny Gadot, Chabad emissary and UAE Chief Rabbi Levi Duchman, American Jewish businessman Bruce Gurfein who lives in Dubai and lawyer Mordechai Tzibin, who specializes in representing Israeli detainees abroad.
Tzibin, who was involved in certain procedures related to the release, wanted to thank the parties involved and told Walla: "I thank the law enforcement system in Abu Dhabi for the high level of human rights, for the good attitude, the consideration and the understanding that Nachman was mistakenly involved in a minor and insignificant act."
How did the Israeli get arrested in the UAE?
Gabai, a resident of Jerusalem, was arrested at the Abu Dhabi airport last Monday, after waiting there for about 8 hours for a connecting flight to India. While he was waiting outside the terminal, a police car that stopped next to him asked him to identify himself and to search him at the police station in the field.
Gabai reportedly suffers from PTSD, and he was extremely worried about the situation, but due to the assault, he got arrested. Nothing was found in the police's search of him.