Saudi Arabia cracks down on social media posts against Israel: reports

WEB DESK: Saudi Arabia has intensified its crackdown on individuals for their social media posts related to the Israeli bombardment of Gaza, coinciding with signals from the kingdom indicating a willingness to establish diplomatic relations with Israel, provided Israel commits to Palestinian statehood.

Although crackdowns on free speech in Saudi Arabia are commonplace, recent arrests are said to be driven by “security concerns” tied to the events of October 7 in Israel and Gaza, as well as their aftermath according to reports from Bloomberg citing diplomats and human rights organizations based in Riyadh.

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According to sources familiar with the situation as reported by Bloomberg, one individual was detained for expressing “incendiary” opinions regarding the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict. Another detainee, described as a media personality by Bloomberg, made remarks stating “Israel should never be forgiven”. Additionally, another person was arrested for advocating a boycott of US fast-food establishments in the kingdom.