Bahrain: actress sparks anger after photo with Israeli ambassador 

Activists in Bahrain have criticised actress Shaima Sabt after she appeared in a photograph with Israeli Ambassador Eitan Naeh. The ambassador posted photographs on his Twitter account showing himself being hosted by a group of Bahraini artists, including Sabt.

In 2020, the Bahraini government signed a normalisation agreement with Israel as part of the Abraham Accords, paving the way for the opening of an Israeli Embassy in the tiny Gulf kingdom. Popular outrage is ongoing at the normalisation of relations with the apartheid state. Conversely, there is a lot of public support for those who oppose normalisation.

Bahraini social media users expressed solidarity in July with Sheikha Mai Bint Muhammad Al Khalifa after she was sacked from her position as Minister of Culture over her refusal to shake hands with the Israeli ambassador.

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