After posting a video showing himself defying a restriction on non-Muslims and sneaking into the Saudi city of Mecca, the holiest city of Islam, an Israeli journalist stirred up controversy.
Two days after Gil Tamary first shared the video on Twitter, the Channel 13 employee from Israel continued to get negative comments on Saudi social media. In his ten-minute video, Tamary travels to Mount Arafat, where robed Muslim pilgrims congregate to pray annually at the end of the Haj trip. He refers to the location as ‘an area restricted to non-Muslims’ and states that he is the first Israeli journalist on the spot to broadcast these photos in Hebrew, indicating that he is aware that what he is doing is prohibited.
Tamary lowers his voice while speaking to the camera in Hebrew and occasionally changes to English to avoid indicating he is an Israeli. He is accompanied by a person who looks to be a local guide and whose face is obscured to protect his identity. On Tuesday, in response to the uproar, Tamary said he only intended for the footage to ‘showcase the importance of Mecca’ and the beauty of Islam, adding that it ‘enabled many people to experience, for the first time, a site that is so essential to our Muslim brothers and sisters.’
Disclaimer: I would like to reiterate that this visit to Mecca was not intended to offend Muslims, or any other person. If anyone takes offense to this video, I deeply apologize. The purpose of this entire endeavor was to showcase the importance of Mecca and the beauty
…. https://t.co/aAxipctRrG— גיל תמרי (@tamarygil) July 19, 2022
Yet more than two weeks ago, a wide range of Saudi and international media outlets broadcast in-depth coverage from Mecca during the Haj pilgrimage. Despite their regrets, Channel 13 stood by its findings.
They issued a statement saying that the travel of its international news editor Gil Tamary to Mecca is an important journalistic accomplishment, which was not intended to anger Muslims. They sincerely regret any offense caused. To be clear, the basic essence of the journalistic profession is journalistic curiosity. Reaching any area and recording events firsthand are fundamental to journalism.
This Israeli journalist snuck into Mecca, Islam’s holiest site, despite an entry ban for non-Muslims pic.twitter.com/cACLnVgZf3
— TRT World (@trtworld) July 20, 2022
Netizens took to Twitter to express their outrage. Twitter user @femzy54 that who is the driver who is accompanying him into the holy places? Is the Saudi Arabian government going to look into this situation or is one already underway?
Who is the driver that is escorting him into the holy lands, is the Saudi Arabia government going to investigate this matter, or are they currently investigating!?
— Fehmi (@femzy54) July 20, 2022
Another Twitter user @SaifAchekzai tweeted that this desecration will not be tolerated. Particularly in light of Israel’s prior crimes against our beloved Masjid al-Aqsa, which occurred during the Holy Month. Has Saudi Arabia yet to issue a formal response?
This sacrilege cannot go unpunished. Especially considering Israel's earlier sacrileges against our beloved Masjid al-Aqsa, in the Holy Month no less.
Did Saudi Arabia release an official response yet?— Saifullah Achekzai (@SaifAchekzai) July 20, 2022
Twitter user @Vlogs1Dev tweeted that in a similar manner, a US citizen and non-Muslim YouTuber by the name of Ravi Telugu traveled to Mecca while disguising himself and uploaded the footage to his channel.
Similarly one of the US Citizen and non muslim youtuber named as ravi telugu traveller paid visit to Mecca in disguise and shared videos in his YouTube channel
— Vasu Dev Vlogs (@Vlogs1Dev) July 21, 2022
Mohammed Saud, a Saudi activist who supports Israel, was one of the critics. He continued, “My dear friends in Israel, one of your journalists went into the city of Mecca, holy to Islam, and videotaped there shamefully.”
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Tamary’s report was criticized as ‘dumb and damaging’ to Israel-Gulf relations by the Muslim minister of regional cooperation Esawi Freij of Israel. To air this report only for rating purposes, he continued, was unethical and detrimental.
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