The majority of the Saudi people denounced the tweets published by the Hebrew Channel 13 about its reporter’s wandering on Mount Arafat.
The tweets angered Saudis through the networking sites, who denounced the entry of the Israeli journalist to Mecca at the time of the most important and largest religious occasion for Muslims, the “pilgrimage” season.
An Israeli journalist wandered inside Mecca
Saudi activists circulated a clip of the correspondent of the Hebrew channel on his way to Mecca, in a scene considered the first of its kind for an Israeli journalist to tour the Holy Land.
After previous reports of an Israeli delegation’s tour of the Prophet’s Mosque.
The footage shows the reporter, “Jill Tamari” in a car, with an English-speaking person, whose voice and picture are hidden as he drives the car on the road to the Great Mosque of Mecca.
Tamari confirms that he is at the gates of Mecca, and explains that he “hid his being Israeli from the driver,” and kept talking to him in English.
The driver took him to the pilgrimage sites, and reached Mount Arafat to take more pictures there.
official statement
The Israeli reporter did not clarify whether he had obtained an official permit from the Saudi authorities or not.
But he described what happened as a “dream that turned into reality”, which angered Saudi tweeters.
The BBC was not able to independently verify this information, but Tamari later apologized via his Twitter account.
He said in a tweet that his visit to Mecca “was not intended to offend Muslims. Rather, the purpose of this entire endeavor was to highlight the importance of Mecca to our Muslim brothers and sisters and to human history.”
Punishment of the responsible
The news of the Israeli journalist entering Mecca and ascending Mount Arafat was met with angry reactions via networking sites in Saudi Arabia.
Saudi activist Omar Abdel Aziz described what happened as “a frank rudeness and a violation of Saudi laws.”
While asked Dr. Muhammad Al-Saghir, Secretary-General of the International Committee to Support the Prophet of Islam, about the reasons for an Israeli journalist’s wanderings in Mecca?
Many of the tweeters were also surprised by how this Israeli journalist entered Mecca?
Others demanded the removal of the guardianship of the Haram from the Saudi authorities.
While some saw that followers of all religions are welcome to come to the holy places.
nitpick
On the other hand, another team defended the Saudi authorities, stressing that some are nitpick.
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The Saudi authorities had replaced the guiding signs that receive visitors to Medina, the second most important holy site in Islam.
Signs display the famous phrase “for Muslims only” amid a red warning color.
The meaning of these paintings is that religion is a condition for entering the holy area, similar to Makkah Al-Mukarramah.
However, the authorities changed it a few days ago to a phrase that seemed more polite and welcoming, “to the extent of the Haram,” while non-Muslims are still prohibited from entering Mecca.
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