Kuwait arrested TV host over calls for friendly ties with Israel

The Kuwait authorities have filed a formal complaint against Al-Saeed, accusing her of violating the country's Unified Law for Boycotting Israel.

The Kuwait Public Prosecution authorities on Saturday, January 11, arrested a famous media person, Fajr Al Saeed for her advocacy of normalizing relations with Israel.

The Ministry of Interior filed a formal complaint against Al-Saeed accusing her of violating Kuwait’s Unified Law for Boycotting Israel which criminalises any dealings with or calls for normalisation with Israel, The New Arab reported.

Al-Saeed is expected to be presented before a detention renewal magistrate in the following days where she may be released on bail.

She garnered controversy across the country and the Arab world for endorsing the relationship with Israel in July 2019 through an interview on an Israeli channel, along with posts on X encouraging the formation of friendly ties with Israel, which is accused of committing “war crimes” in the Arab state of Palestine.

Her political career was earlier challenged when she suffered a heavy defeat in the 2022 parliamentary elections, receiving only 433 votes.

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Kuwait has remained quite clear on its stance against normalizing relations with Israel, though some other Arab nations are gradually improving diplomatic ties with Israel.

The country has always advocated for the Palestinian state and does not endorse the normalization of relations with Israel without the Palestinians’ consent. In 2021, the Kuwaiti parliament approved the law further enshrining the ban on normalization with Israel,  designating Israel as an enemy state.