Bahraini social media activist talks UAE deal, says Jews part of Middle East

Beyond praising the recent deal, Alshareef highlighted an important shift in perception among Arabs in the Middle East.

By CODY LEVINE
General view of Bahrain World Trade Center in Manama, Bahrain, February 21, 2019. Picture taken February 21, 2019. (photo credit: HAMAD I MOHAMMED / REUTERS)
General view of Bahrain World Trade Center in Manama, Bahrain, February 21, 2019. Picture taken February 21, 2019.
(photo credit: HAMAD I MOHAMMED / REUTERS)
Loay Alshareef, a social media activist and linguist from Bahrain, was interviewed by i24NEWS on Sunday, in which he discussed the recent Israel-UAE normalization deal, Israel and the Jewish people's role in the Middle East and the future of Arab-Israel ties.
Beyond praising the recent deal, Alshareef highlighted an important shift in perception among Middle East Arabs, particularly in the Gulf states, regarding perceptions toward Israel specifically and Jews in general. The activist noted that views among the populace of the UAE in regard to the agreement are rooted in stabilizing the Middle East, while adding that "now the awareness is becoming more clear to many people that the Jewish people are not foreign colonialists in the Land of Israel: They are part of this land, and they are part of our region.
He added that "the Jewish people belong here, they have nowhere else to go... so it's really becoming very obvious that the existence of the Jewish people in the Land of Israel is not only historical, but it's a fact – and we can do many things together for prosperity, security and peace for the region."
When asked about the Bahraini position and the UAE, Alshareef said that the latter has taken a principled position of encouraging a stable Middle East, in addition to noting that those who don't want a stable region are the ones opposed to an Arab-Israeli rapprochement.
In a clear reference to Iran, Alshareef said that "Israel is not a threat to its neighbors, but what is a threat to its neighbor is a country that writes in its constitution to export revolution, to exports its sect and to believe in what they believe in." He also noted that Judaism itself is not a proselytizing religion, something that not so many people know in the Arab world.
Alshareef also criticized Qatar's Al Jazeera news network for criticizing the UAE-Israel deal, suggesting that it is supporting anti-Israel sentiment and antisemitism in the region. Attributing his personal change in perception toward Jews to his having lived with a Jewish family in France, Alshareef said that the importance of breaking down barriers and communicating in each other's languages can help build peace.