Saudi summit rapped on social media for promoting ‘normalization’ with Israel
Social media users have reacted to a Saudi Arabian anti-terrorism summit in which a video was played showing a Palestinian fighting Israeli occupation forces.
The self-proclaimed anti-terrorism coalition, led by Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, launched their first meeting in Riyadh on Monday with representatives from 41 Muslim states in attendance.
After the clip was shown, social media users referred to its content as a form of Arab “normalization” with the Israeli occupation.
“This image from the video that was shown in the opening session of the ‘Council of ministers of defense of the Islamic Coalition to Combat Terrorism’ in Saudi Arabia is from 2001 and is a Palestinian resistance fighter clashing with the occupation army in the south of occupied Jerusalem al-Quds. To those who are hurrying to normalize with the occupation, it was and will always be: resistance is not terrorism,” said one twitter user.
“This is resistance and the highest degree of honor and dignity, which you lack. Terrorism is what you have carried out against your oppressed people for decades,” another tweeted.
“People do not care what your criteria for classifying terrorism is. Terrorism is all who normalize with Israel. Palestinian resistance has more honor than you.”
Saudi Arabia has been rumored to have formed an alliance with Israel in a bid to fend off Iran’s growing influence in the Middle East.
On November 14, Lebanon’s al-Akhbar daily published a secret undated letter from Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman that puts forward a plan to normalize ties with Israel despite “risks” of a public backlash.
Jubeir also referred to Israel as a “state” while Saudi Arabia, along with other Arab League member countries, does not formally recognize the occupying entity.
A report published in June revealed that Saudi Arabia and the Israeli regime were in clandestine talks to establish official economic relations for the first time since the entity was created on the Palestinian territories some 69 years ago.
