Israeli Media Warns of Growing Anti-Zionist Protests in Thailand
According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, Israeli media are sounding the alarm over the expansion of anti-Zionist protests in Thailand. More than 20 local organizations in Thailand are scheduled to hold a demonstration on the island of Phuket on Saturday, protesting the presence of Israel and activities by institutions linked to the Zionist movement ‘Chabad’. Israeli media reports highlight Tel Aviv’s increasing worry about the broadening reach of these demonstrations.
Channel 12 of Hebrew Television reported that activists from approximately 20 organizations are preparing for a large-scale protest against Israel and the ‘Chabad’ movement on Phuket Island, with tens of thousands expected to attend. The demonstration is slated to take place at ‘Sawan Hin’ Park in Phuket city.
Among the expected participants is Sombat Limthongkul, a prominent figure in Thai politics and a former leader of the ‘Red Shirt’ protest movement. One of the protest leaders, Satchapol Noochath, has called for the expulsion of elements associated with the ‘Chabad’ movement from Thailand and the eradication of the Zionist network from the country.
Protest organizers have emphasized that individuals linked to Israel and the ‘Chabad’ movement are engaged in illegal commercial activities in Thailand and are appropriating national assets. The report noted that no specific new security threats have been reported, and Thai police have not taken extraordinary security measures ahead of the demonstrations.
The Hebrew daily ‘Yedioth Ahronoth’ also reported that Bangkok, Thailand’s capital, and the island of Phuket have witnessed protests against Israel in recent months. The newspaper added that there are widespread criticisms in Thailand regarding the behavior of Israeli tourists and businessmen for violating local laws.
Last September, Phuket Island also saw protests near a ‘Chabad’ center, leading to the cancellation of a Talmudic feast that was to be attended by hundreds of Israelis due to security concerns.
The ‘Chabad’ movement, also known as ‘Chabad Lubavitch’, is considered one of the largest ultra-Orthodox Hasidic Jewish movements globally. It was founded in the late 18th century, in 1788, by Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi in a region now part of Belarus. The movement adopted the name ‘Lubavitch’ from a city of the same name, which was chosen as its center. Subsequently, leadership shifted to Latvia and then Poland, before finally relocating to the Brooklyn borough of New York City in 1940, where its main headquarters remains today.
‘Chabad’ is an acronym for three Hebrew words meaning ‘Wisdom, Understanding, and Knowledge’. The movement defines itself as a ‘philosophy, movement, and organization’ and claims to operate to meet the spiritual and material needs of Jews worldwide and strengthen their connection to Jewish beliefs and traditions.
