A Kuwaiti man screamed “Free Palestine” at children waiting for a flight to Tel Aviv from Dubai International Airport, with the Emirati Interior Ministry saying the relevant authorities are looking into the matter.
حبيت بس اغثهم وانا راجع من دبي ماتحملت اخليهم يتونسون pic.twitter.com/G1XQSAUIGP
— وليد المطيري (@Kuwaiti_Free1) April 27, 2023
Kuwaiti citizen Waleed al-Mutairi published a video showing himself walking up to a number of small children in the airport and shouting “Free Palestine!” and adding in broken English “this is a country for Palestinian people, not for all. God gave you to chance to make it yourself as good, but you don’t take it, the good, for yourself…not your country and thank you very much.”
The children and the other waiting passengers largely ignored al-Mutairi while he yelled.
Demonstrators burn an Israeli flag during a protest to express solidarity with the Palestinian people amid a flare-up of Israeli-Palestinian violence, in Kuwait City, Kuwait May 19, 2021 (credit: REUTERS/STEPHANIE MCGEHEE)Emirati Twitter users call ‘Free Palestine’ outburst ‘barbaric’
The outburst sparked mixed responses on social media, with many Emiratis expressing outrage at Mutairi’s behavior and many Palestinians congratulating him.
A number of Twitter users referred to Mutairi’s outburst as “shameful,” “barbaric” and “disrespectful.” A number of users made fun of Mutairi’s English and his choice to end the outburst with “thank you very much,” with other users referring to him as a “drunkard.”
In response to a tweet complaining about the Kuwaiti man’s behavior, the Emirati Interior Ministry tweeted “the matter will be transferred to the competent authorities.”
اللي ما تعلم الأدب، عندنا القانون يأدبه… رحلة موفقة ! https://t.co/mexfP1fjK3
— حسن سجواني Hassan Sajwani (@HSajwanization) April 27, 2023
Emirati businessman Hassan Sajwani wrote in response to the video “Those who do not know manners, we have the law to discipline them…Have a good trip!”
A number of users congratulated Mutairi, expressing support for his statements concerning Palestinians and rejecting complaints about his behavior.
Kuwait is a staunch opponent of Israel. When the Abraham Accords were signed, the emirate insisted that it would “be the last” to normalize relations with Israel.
In 2021, the Kuwaiti parliament passed a bill that would restrict any form of contact with Israel. Any expressions of sympathy with Israel would also be outlawed, with the punishments for offenders including imprisonment and large fines.
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