Saudi police arrested a man after he facilitated the entry of a non-Muslim man into Mecca. The Saudi citizen was arrested for enabling an American citizen of Israeli origin into a Muslims-only path to the city. Thus, explicitly violating laws prohibiting entry to non-Muslims.
The journalist has been referred to the Public Prosecution for further legal action. Gil Tamary, who works for Israel’s Channel 13 TV news, published a video of himself on a drive through Mecca.
Tamary also climbed Mount Arafat, a sacred site where Muslims gather during the Hajj pilgrimage, Bloomberg reported.
Tamary, in an apologetic tweet on Tuesday, wrote that his excursion to Mecca hadn't been to offend Muslims, but to “showcase the importance of Mecca and the beauty of the religion.”
Saudi Arabia does not recognise Israel and did not join the Abraham Accords in 2020 brokered by the US, which saw Israel establish ties with UAE and Bahrain.
