Saudi Arabia has reportedly intensified its crackdown on citizens expressing critical views of Israel’s ongoing conflict with Gaza online as the kingdom indicates a willingness to establish diplomatic relations with the Jewish state, it insists on a commitment to Palestinian statehood.
Detaining individuals for online remarks, including those made over a decade ago, and imposing limitations on free speech and political expression have become customary practices in Saudi Arabia. However, recent arrests seem to stem from security concerns directly related to the deadly October 7th incursion of Israel by Hamas and its aftermath, as per reports from Riyadh-based diplomats and human rights organizations.
Israel’s retaliatory bombardment of Gaza has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians, according to authorities in the Hamas-run enclave, and left many more in urgent need of food and health care. That’s triggered a popular anti-Israel backlash across the Arab world and in Western countries including the US, where violent clashes have taken place on university campuses. Hundreds of demonstrators were arrested in the US recently.
According to some sources who preferred to remain anonymous due to the sensitivity of the issue, Saudi Arabia and its regional allies such as Egypt and Jordan are deeply concerned about this trend. They fear that Iran and Islamist factions might take advantage of the conflict to provoke a series of uprisings.
Recent detentions in Saudi Arabia have targeted individuals associated with companies engaged in the kingdom’s Vision 2030 economic reform initiative, which is a key focus of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s agenda. According to sources both within and outside Saudi Arabia familiar with the situation, one detainee voiced opinions on the Gaza conflict that authorities deemed to be inflammatory.
A media figure who said Israel should never be forgiven has also been arrested, the people said, as has an individual calling for the boycott of American fast-food restaurants in the kingdom.
Requests for comment from the Saudi Ministry of Interior and the government’s Human Rights Commission went unanswered. However, an individual familiar with the Saudi government’s perspective acknowledged the arrests. He attributed them to a heightened state of vigilance following October 7th and a government desire to discourage individuals from making online statements about the war that could potentially jeopardize national security.
The arrests in Saudi Arabia for posts related to Gaza suggest that Prince Mohammed’s regime is adopting a strict stance towards citizens who diverge from the official narrative regarding the normalization of relations with Israel. This is a topic that the kingdom and the US were actively discussing before the events of October 7th complicated matters. Riyadh and Washington resumed discussions on a defense pact and US involvement in initiating a civilian nuclear program earlier this year. With an agreement imminent, Israel will be offered the opportunity to join a trilateral pact or risk being excluded.
Since 7 October, Saudi Arabia has harshly criticized Israel for its war in Gaza and demanded an immediate cease-fire, while indicating it remains open to warmer relations if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu withdraws troops and commits to the establishment of a Palestinian state. The latter outcome remains a distant prospect, however, especially while Netanyahu’s far-right coalition remains in power.
According to Jane Kinninmont, a Gulf expert, the crackdown on pro-Palestinian sentiment on social media could indicate Riyadh’s earnestness regarding normalization with Israel.
The exact number of individuals arrested by Saudi Arabia since October 7th is not known.
According to a Saudi man who regularly visits a family member detained for an online post made prior to the conflict, there has been a noticeable rise in the number of inmates at a high-security prison south of Riyadh over the past six months. This observation has been supported by multiple diplomats based in the Saudi capital and human rights organizations, all of whom have noted an increase in arrests related to social media activity since October 7th.
However, they added that reasons for arrest also encompass comments on various other issues within Saudi Arabia, such as the cost of living, or any critique of the kingdom or its leadership.
