Saudi Arabia has reportedly stepped up arrests of its citizens who comment against Israel over the war in Gaza, despite Riyadh having no relations with Israel.
Recent detentions have included an executive for a company involved in Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 economic plan who expressed views on the war deemed incendiary by local authorities, Bloomberg says.
A media figure who said Israel should never be forgiven and another individual called for the boycott of American fast-food restaurants in the kingdom, unnamed sources tell Bloomberg.
The arrests are aimed at deterring people from making online statements about the war that might harm national security, a source familiar with the Saudi government’s thinking tells Bloomberg.