Bloomberg: Saudi Arabia arrests activists critical of Israel

According to the international group Tasnim news agency, Bloomberg news network website reported today that Saudi Arabia in In the midst of the green light for diplomatic relations with Israel, the arrest of citizens has intensified due to the publication of materials in the cyberspace related to the war in Gaza. Cyberspace, which sometimes includes children as young as 10 years old, is not an uncommon issue in Saudi Arabia, but the new wave of recent arrests seems to be rooted in security concerns related to the October 7 “Operation Storm Al-Aqsa” and its aftermath.

Israeli attacks on Gaza have so far led to the martyrdom of more than 34 thousand Palestinians and exposed many other citizens in this area to urgent needs for food and medical issues. These events have caused a wave of criticism against Israel in the Arab world and even Western countries including the United States of America.

Saudi Arabia and its regional allies, including Egypt and Jordan, are worried that this process is possible. cause a wave of internal protests in these countries. The memories of the uprisings of 2011, which became known as the “Arab Spring”, have not yet been forgotten by many Arab rulers and many of them are worried about the repetition of those events. Sources close to Saudi Arabia say that among the people who recently This is the reason behind the arrest of the managers of one of the companies that are among the contractors of the economic transformation plan known as “Perspective 2030”. It is said that this arrested person has expressed his views about Gaza in cyberspace.

Sources cited by Bloomberg said that another media figure who said that Israel should never be forgiven is also among those arrested. Another person who said that American fast food restaurants should be boycotted because of the US’s support for Israel has also been arrested. The high level of alert in Saudi Arabia after October 7 and said that the Saudi authorities want to prevent comments in cyberspace that may endanger national security.

These arrests show that Mohammed bin Salman, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia, which unofficially controls the entire administration of government affairs in this country, will not show any flexibility and attention to public opinion if it decides to normalize relations with Israel.

A few hours earlier, the news agency Reuters, quoting informed sources, reported that US President Joe Biden’s administration is finalizing a bilateral security agreement with Saudi Arabia to provide security guarantees as well as help with the nuclear program, while there are still bleak prospects for an agreement to normalize relations. There is between Riyadh and Tel Aviv.

The American administration headed by Joe Biden has been seeking mediation for the normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel for a few months in exchange for agreeing to another agreement with Saudi Arabia to provide assistance in the field of energy. peaceful nuclear as well as security and defense guarantees to this Middle Eastern country.

Two informed sources told Reuters news agency on Thursday that in a draft document, the principles and plans to revive the efforts of the United States of America to shape the “unstable region” The Middle East” which went off the rails after the October 7 operation known as “Al-Aqsa Storm” has been identified.

Reuters writes that US and Saudi negotiators have prioritized the bilateral security agreement between the two sides for the time being, and this agreement is In the next step, it will be part of a wider package that will be presented to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu will then have to make a decision about giving concessions to establish relations with Saudi Arabia.

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