by Dr. Edy Cohen
Ghabin—who once opposed normalization with Israel—has criticized both the Palestinians and Iran and has spoken openly about his support for Israel’s proposed sovereignty plan for parts of the West Bank.
Abdul Hameed Ghabin, image via his Twitter page @Abdullhameeds
BESA Center Perspectives Paper No. 1,650, July 19, 2020
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Saudi journalist Abdul
Hameed Ghabin has appeared multiple times in the international media,
including the Israeli media, to express support for Israel. On live
broadcasts from Riyadh, one of the most conservative states in the
Persian Gulf and an absolute monarchy, Ghabin—who once opposed
normalization with Israel—has criticized both the Palestinians and Iran
and has spoken openly about his support for Israel’s proposed
sovereignty plan for parts of the West Bank. He now languishes in prison
on false allegations and faces a possible sentence of at least 10
years.
In media appearances that shook conservative Saudi
Arabia, Saudi journalist and commentator Abdul Hameed Ghabin came out
strongly against Iran and against the Palestinians. His public
appearances, in which he expressed support for Israel and its proposed
sovereignty plan for parts of the Jordan Valley, embarrassed the Saudi
rulers. The regime has framed Ghabin on false charges and incarcerated
him, probably for many years.
A trailblazer comes up against Big Brother
Ghabin was the first Saudi journalist to publish an opinion piece in
an Israeli newspaper. That article almost caused a diplomatic incident
between the Saudis and the Jordanians because it contained a proposal to
transfer management of the al-Aqsa Mosque to the Saudis. The Jordanians
were furious, and Ghabin was reprimanded.
No Saudi can express him- or herself freely. “Big
Brother” is watching and listening to every word. The murder of Jamal
Khashoggi, who ran afoul of the Saudi leadership, is still a recent
memory. There is no such thing as a Saudi opposition party.
Ghabin did not oppose the Saudi regime, but his
media appearances made decision-makers in Riyadh uncomfortable—mainly
because of the ire they raised among the Palestinian leadership, who
complained bitterly about him.
From bad to worse
Ghabin had been in the authorities’ sights for
quite some time. They feared his sway over his readers and listeners,
especially as he is considered one of the most influential Saudi
journalists of recent years.
The authorities put an end to Ghabin’s media
appearances, but they didn’t stop there. A few months ago, Saudi
Arabia’s Interior Ministry informed him it was revoking his citizenship.
Though this was illegal (according to Saudi law, citizenship can only
be revoked by the royal family), Ghabin had no recourse to object. The
citizenship revocation had an immediate impact on his life as well as
those of his children. The day after the announcement, his children’s
school barred them from attending class.
Then something worse happened. Ghabin was arrested
and incarcerated on trumped-up charges of committing espionage on
behalf of a foreign country and falsifying documents to obtain Saudi
citizenship. The foreign country referenced is almost certainly Israel.
These charges could send Ghabin to prison for at least 10 years.
Before his arrest, the authorities sought to
incriminate Ghabin by accusing him of supporting the Muslim Brotherhood
and former Egyptian president Muhammad Morsi. They combed his Twitter
account to find incriminating material to justify putting him in jail.
As they found no such evidence, they resorted to simply inventing false
accusations.
Not-so-normal relations
On June 17, 2020, just days before his arrest,
Ghabin feared being “bumped off” or kidnapped. He posted only these
words: “I’m being kidnapped.” That was his last post. It was deleted a
few days ago, though his account still exists.
Much has been made of thawing relations between
Israel and Saudi Arabia, two nations that are cooperating more and more
in an effort to thwart Iranian ambitions in the region.
But Ghabin crossed a Saudi red line. The Kingdom’s
authorities demand that any relations between a Saudi citizen and the
State of Israel be governed strictly by them. The Saudi rulers feared
his bold push toward fully normalized Saudi-Israeli relations, and were
alarmed by his willingness to criticize the Palestinians in public.
Ghabin’s abduction by the regime was an act of
tyranny, and it illustrates the lack of freedom of expression in Saudi
Arabia. Perhaps he was ahead of his time, and will yet be seen as a
positive example.
It is urgent that all steps be taken to secure
Ghabin’s immediate release from Saudi prison. All organizations that
care about human rights should be working on his behalf. For the crime
of trying to exercise freedom of speech, Ghabin is now paying a heavy
price.
Saudi Arabia purports to have a vision for the future, but it continues to suppress progress when it occurs.
In this video, Abdul Hameed Ghabin comments on Israeli plans to annex the Jordan Valley and says he and other Saudis support the move.
This is an edited version of an article that appeared in Israel Today on July 7, 2020.
Source: https://besacenter.org/perspectives-papers/saudi-arabia-freedom-of-speech/
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