[New York] When Saudi blogger Mohammed Saud made a brief visit to the Al-Aqsa Mosque earlier this week, he, in all likelihood, had no inclination that the following ordeal would speedily make headlines across the entire Arab world.
The video showed worshippers atop the Temple Mount, known to Muslims as the Harim al-Sharif, spitting at Saud and shouting obscenities at him. After that, while on foot via the narrow alleyways of the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City, the 29-yr-vintage turned into surrounded by a mob of Palestinians who assaulted him and accused him of treason for his decision to go to the Jewish nation on the behest of the Israeli authorities.
“May all the youngsters of Palestine spit on you!” members of the mob yelled as they hurled plastic chairs, footwear, and different items at Saud. “Go back to in which you came from, you and Bin Salman, the traitor,” they screamed while referencing Mohammad Bin Salman, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia. He has made supportive feedback about Israel, including that Jews have a right “to their fatherland” within the Middle East.
Touring Israel as a part of a small delegation of six newshounds from the Arab world, Saud, a regulation pupil at the King Saud University in Riyadh, changed into right now transformed into a miles-talked-about – and divisive – social media determine.
“His decision to visit Israel is an assertion of love and aid for the Zionist entity,” claimed Ibtisam al-Saad, a Qatari journalist writing for the pro-government daily newspaper Al-Sharq.
“Thank you from the bottom of my heart to every Palestinian toddler who attacked and insulted the dog Mohammed Saud,” Kuwaiti blogger Ahmed al-Maimoni posted to social media.
Egyptian Mahmoud Refaat defined the ride as a “replicate[ion of] the widening hole among the Arab leadership, which aligns itself with Israel and America, and the Arab human beings, who oppose this relationship.”
Youssef Skafi, the Palestinian kid who instigated the assault, was declared a hero by commentators throughout the place. Photos depicting the 6-year-antique East Jerusalem resident regarded on multiple social media debts, together with a caption celebrating the younger technology of Palestinians who’re dedicated to persevering with “the warfare for the liberation of the Palestinian place of birth.”The big rage over Saud’s moves began an afternoon in advance. At the same time, in an interview with Israeli army radio, he publicly affirmed that “the Israeli human beings resemble his humans,” including that “Israelis are like his family.” The blogger also expressed pleasure in discovering Hebrew on his own accord, paying attention to Israeli songs and sermons of Israel-based totally, extremely Orthodox Rabbi Amnon Yitzhak.
Amid the heated rhetoric related to Saud’s visit, there had been, utilizing assessment, folks who stood in thein the way of the blogger. “Despite my rejection of Saud’s movements, I am surprised by the rude Palestinian conduct,” said Ibrahim Suleiman, every other journalist running in Saudi Arabia. “Even while we disagree with others, we should now not neglect our compassion and morals,” he tweeted.
Muhammad al-Sheikh, another famous Saudi reporter, positioned the blame on the Palestinian Authority. Shortly after the attack, Al-Sheikh ran an online poll to gauge how his followers might feel about Riyadh cutting resources to the PA until such time that Saud’s attackers were arrested.
