"No to normalization with Israel" has come back strongly to the forefront of the Kuwaiti political and popular arena, due to two events that have occupied Kuwaitis in the last few days; One of them is the announcement of the UAE and Israel to normalize relations between them, and the other is the statements made by Jared Kushner, advisor to US President Donald Trump, about Kuwait.
The Emirati-Israeli normalization agreement was subject to great criticism in Kuwaiti circles, whether by explicit and direct condemnation that it is an agreement that contradicts the principles, or by renewing the official and popular stances rejecting normalization and supporting the Palestinian cause.
A number of members of the National Assembly - including its Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanim - also submitted a request to expedite the Council and its committees to decide on the proposed laws submitted regarding “boycotting Israel, and the prohibition of dealing or normalizing with the Zionist entity” for approval before the end of the current session next November.
Forty-one (out of 50) deputies signed a statement during Tuesday's session in which they affirmed Kuwait's firm stance against normalization with the Zionist entity, and stressed that Kuwaitis would not accept any retreat from their government's commitment to the first Arab and Muslim cause.
The statement went on to affirm that the Kuwaiti people would continue to strengthen the political leadership in its "courageous and firm" stance towards the Palestinian cause over the years, indicating that the crimes of the occupation cannot be removed from the souls of the children of Kuwaitis.
Various Kuwaiti political and student forces also competed to issue statements of condemnation, and to organize several virtual events and festivals, all of which rejected normalization and affirmed support for the Kuwaiti position in support of the Palestinian cause.
In the same context, Kuwaiti citizens organized a protest stand in front of the Palestinian embassy on Tuesday evening, to emphasize the Kuwaiti solidarity with the rights of the violated Palestinian people, and their rejection of normalization.
watched A stand of solidarity in # Kuwait with the Palestinian cause and against Emirati normalization with the Israeli occupation
| # Gulf_Online # Pulse_Kuwait # Kuwait pic.twitter.com/eVKtX5ZruJ
- Gulf Online (@AlkhaleejOnline) August 18, 2020
Criticism of Kushner
As for Kushner’s statements that he made days after the announcement of normalization between the UAE and Israel, in which he criticized the Kuwaiti position rejecting normalization, and described Kuwait’s standing by the Palestinian right to an "unconstructive" matter; He was met with a massive wave of anger among a large number of members of the Kuwaiti National Assembly, as well as Kuwaiti singers.
The Kuwaitis considered that Kushner's statements blatant interference in the internal Kuwaiti affairs, stressing at the same time that Kuwait will remain the last fortress against normalization.
The US Embassy in Kuwait confirmed - in a statement carried by some Kuwaiti newspapers - that Kushner’s view reflects the opinion of the US administration, expressing at the same time its respect for Kuwait’s sovereignty and its desire to take decisions based on its own interests.
A member of the faculty and professor at Kuwait University, Dr. Ahmad Al-Dhaidy, believes that the angry response of the Kuwaitis to Kushner's statements came as much as they represented a great provocation and hurt feelings, as he not only criticized Kuwait for its refusal to normalize normalization with Israel, but for its standing with the Palestinian right.
In his speech to Al-Jazeera Net, Al-Dhaidy expected that pressure will increase on Kuwait during the next stage, especially with the continuation of the normalization train with the rest of the Gulf countries, and some other Arab countries.
However, from Al-Dhaidi's point of view, the greater the Kuwaiti popular solidarity and solidarity rejecting this issue, the more this would support the official Kuwaiti position, given that public opinion plays a major role in such issues.
Al-Dhaidy considers that Kuwait is characterized by the presence of a free public opinion in it, and this is not available in the rest of the region, which weakens it in front of the United States and other countries, while popular opinion in Kuwait strengthens the position of the government if it refuses to reconcile with Israel, due to the presence of immunity and a greater margin of maneuver with freedom Expression and democracy that characterizes Kuwaiti society.
Al-Dhaidi reiterated that the Kuwaiti people - by a majority and absolutely - reject normalization or interference, whether it is an American or from any other country. The issue for Kuwaitis is religious, patriotic and Arab, on which the Kuwaiti people grew up until it became one of its constants, considering that Palestine is the first of the two qiblahs, the third of the Two Holy Mosques, and Mesra The Prophet, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him.