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#Saudis_against_normalisation with Israel

June 28, 2017 at 9:02 pm

No to normalisation, normalisation is treachery. Image used by social media activists to show their disgust at the idea that Saudi Arabia may be building diplomatic ties is Israel. [Mr Brary/Twitter]

Saudis have taken to social media to counter a campaign to encourage normalisation with Israel, tweeting using the hashtag “Saudis against normalisation”.

Activists described normalising relations with Israel as “an explicit act of treason that must be reconsidered and whose dangers must be unveiled.” This comes as news has been circulating that Saudi Arabia’s actions against Qatar in recent weeks have been to harm the Palestinian resistance and edge it closer to the occupation state, Israel.

They also demanded people not adhere to policies of normalisation with Israel, which has never had any positive views on Arabs or Arab-Muslim territories.

Their actions came after famous Saudi social media user “Mujtahid”, who is close to the Saudi royal family, announced that Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman ordered a media campaign be launched to prepare the public for the improvement of relations with Israel. According to “Mujtahid”, Prince Mohammad “allocated a reward for the most creative commentator or tweet in this campaign”.

Read: Saudi official: Relations with Israel will be based on mutual interests

However a number of social media users said calls for normalisation were “decoys” setup to distort the Kingdom’s image. They described the campaign as a “fitna”, sedition.

Twitter user Mr Brary Maaly wrote: “The Saudis who call for normalisation are either liberals who are originally Zionists, or those who were deceived by the American version of Islam which is led by the UAE.” He also added: “#Saudis against Normalisation… This hashtag represents our real voice, and not the hashtag that was trending this morning via prepaid spots.”

https://twitter.com/Mrbrary/status/879599931996110848

Haniya Arafat wrote: “The idiots launched the hashtag #Saudis_for_normalisation… The Saudis have responded with the hashtag #Saudis_against_normalisation. This reflects the rejection of any official Saudi normalisation.”

Editor of Arabi21, Feras Abu Helal tweeted: “The hashtag #Saudis_against_normalisation has outdone the hashtag #Saudis_for_normalization because it is the true voice of the Saudi Arabian people, who have always believed the Arab conflict with the occupation state to be a chief cause.”

The political analyst Yasr Al-Zaatreh said in a tweet: “Do not be deceived by pseudonyms and those who work on social media platforms… Our people have enough dignity and have enough awareness not to be misled.”

Abdul Rahman Al-Duwairi pointed out: “80% of the comments on the hashtag #Saudis_for_normalisation are in favour of the hashtag #Saudis_against_normalisation.”

“#Saudis_for_normalisation This label does not represent the Saudi brothers, just attempts by cynics and electronic armies to incite public opinion,” explained Nassir Al-Thani.

While Khalid Al-Shareef wrote: “The hatred towards Zionists in Palestine is not motivated by politics or border disputes nor is it dictated by special profit making or any regional interests. It is rather motivated by religious faith.”

https://twitter.com/jassaskh/status/879606901843087361

Others warned that social media activists should be careful not to fall into the trap of fake accounts and those who wish to cause problems amongst Muslims and Arab states. The Truth Seeker posted: “No way can you deceive the Arabs with intelligence tricks. And no way can we forget about Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque.”

Wada’an Tuty reduced the idea: “If all the countries of the world normalise their relations with Israel, Saudi Arabia will not do so, neither its leadership nor its people,” adding: “By God, this will not happen as long as we have Arab and Muslim blood running through our veins.”

Di Abdulaziz put the idea of normalisation down to a lack of awareness and education. “I feel sorry for the generations that did not know about Ahmed Yassin nor did they hear about the death of Mohammed Durra or sing hymns for Palestine and Al-Aqsa, these are generations that do not loathe Israel as it should be loathed.”