Saudi anti-terrorism summit uses Palestinian intifada clip, draws angry response

Saudi anti-terrorism summit uses Palestinian intifada clip, draws angry response
Tue Nov 28, 2017 09:09:57

Social media users have reacted to a Saudi Arabian anti-terrorism summit in which a video was played showing a Palestinian fighting Israeli occupation forces.

(aljazeera) -- Palestinians and Arabs on social media have reacted with anger after a newly formed, self-proclaimed anti-terrorism coalition opened their first meeting in Riyadh with a video that included a scene of a Palestinian fighting Israeli occupation forces.

Monday's summit of the Islamic Coalition Against Terrorism was attended by representatives from 41 Muslim countries and was led by Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

It is unclear whether the inclusion of the clip was deliberate.

People on social media characterised the incident as a form of Arab "normalisation" with the Israeli occupation, at the expense of Palestinians.

The image of the Palestinian dates back to 2001, during the second Palestinian uprising (intifada) against the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

Social media lit up after the video presentation, with many Palestinians and Arabs showing their discontent on Twitter about the usage of the image.

"This image from the video that was shown in the opening session of the 'Council of ministers of defence of the Islamic Coalition to Combat Terrorism' in Saudi Arabia is from 2001 and is a Palestinian resistance fighter clashing with the occupation army in the south of occupied Jerusalem. To those who are hurrying to normalise with the occupation, it was and will always be: resistance is not terrorism," one Twitter user wrote. 

"This is resistance and the highest degree of honour and dignity, which you lack. Terrorism is what you have carried out against your oppressed people for decades," another tweeted.

"People do not care what your criteria for classifying terrorism is. Terrorism is all who normalise with Israel. Palestinian resistance has more honour than you."

Others said there was no question that the usage of the image was deliberate.

(Image: aljazeera)

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