Kuwait academic: Normalising ties with Israel is at the expense of Palestinians

Famous Kuwaiti academic Dr Tareq Al-Suwaidan strongly criticised normalisation of ties between Arab states and Israeli occupation state.

“[The normalisation of ties with Israel] is a betrayal added to the record of shame and dishonour for every [Arab] ruler who accepts it,” he wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Monday.

He asked: “What is the value of the construction in the desert in return of conceding a land which is the heart of the Ummah, its legacy and its history?”

“The normalisation will be at the expense of the proud Palestinian people and at the expense of the right of return for millions of Palestinians.”

He concluded: “The normalisation of ties is betrayal by all standards.”

READ: Kuwait demands UN hold Israel accountable for crimes against Palestinians

Al-Suwaidan criticised normalisation one day after Israeli Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi landed in Riyadh leading an Israeli delegation to the Universal Postal Union’s 2023 Extraordinary Congress.

Karhi, who was accompanied by Knesset Economy Committee Chairman David Bitan, made the trip less than a week after his Likud colleague, Haim Katz, became the first Israeli minister to officially visit the kingdom.

“We’re here during the Sukkot holiday, at an international conference. We’ll meet with representatives from around the world, and will bring the peace between the State of Israel and Saudi Arabia closer,” Karhi said in a video statement after landing in Riyadh.