Rabat – Wassem Yousef, a cleric in the UAE, has posted a series of controversial tweets against Palestine and Palestinians. The posts have prompted online backlash against the sheikh.
One of the controversial tweets came on August 15. Yousef shared a video of Palestinians stepping on the Emirati flag, symbolically objecting to the UAE’s recent decision to normalize ties with Israel.
This filthy morals, you do not really deserve Jerusalem – most of you work in Israel and you are asking the Arabs to boycott Israel – the truth is you are without morals. The Jews are more honorable than you https://t.co/dQV3IM3JPD
— Dr. Waseem Yousef (@waseem_yousef) August 15, 2020
In his post of the video, Wassem Yousef described Palestinians’ morals as “filthy.”
“You do not really deserve Jerusalem- most of you work in Israel and you are asking the Arabs to boycott Israel.”
The cleric went on with his comment to call Palestinians amoral.
“The truth is you are without morals. The Jews are more honorable than you.”
When I saw the flag of my country being burned by some Palestinians because of the peace treaty with Israel – I apologize to every Israeli man if you offended him in the past#UAEIsrael #Israel
— Dr. Waseem Yousef (@waseem_yousef) August 16, 2020
In another tweet, Wassem Yousef said that when he saw Palestinians burning his country’s flag because of the Israel-UAE peace deal, he decided to apologize to every “Israeli man” he offended in the past.
The cleric has fiercely defended his country’s decision to sign a peace treaty with Israel.
#معاهدة_السلام ستعود بالنفع على الناس ..
فهناك تعاون طبي (كالتعاون في جائحة #كورونا)
و سيكون هناك تعاون زراعي .. فالسلام يعود دائما بالنفع على الشعوب .. و الحروب ليس منها إلا الدمار
وتعاون اقتصادي بين الشعبين .. فالنبي عليه السلام مات و درعه مرهونة عند يهودي— Dr. Waseem Yousef (@waseem_yousef) August 19, 2020
He said the agreement will be beneficial for all.
“There is a medical cooperation like the coordination against the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.
He added that there will be cooperation in the field of agriculture.
“Peace always benefits people … wars are nothing but destruction.”
Supporters of the Palestinian cause slammed the UAE cleric for his controversial tweets and for showing two faces.
Twitter users also shared videos of the cleric before the treaty, in which he hit at Israel and zionists.
وسيم يوسف،،،، شاهدوا موقفه قبل التطبيع الإماراتي،،،، والآن يصفق للتطبيع،،،، pic.twitter.com/P1BCi367Cx
— سعوديون ضد التطبيع (@Saudis2018) August 17, 2020
وسيم يوسف قبل وبعد التطبيع الإماراتي:
➡️يهاجم اليهود ويقول بأنهم أشد عدواة للاسلام وهم أهل مكيدة وتربوا على الكذب وكل بلاء في أمة الإسلام خلفه اليهود، فهم ينقضون كل العهود في السلم والحرب.
⬅️يبرر التطبيع الإماراتي شرعياً بطريقة التدليس والتضليل ويهاجم كل من هاجم اتفاقية التطبيع. pic.twitter.com/SYJdESbGMG— قبل وبعد (@be4after) August 18, 2020
Algerian sports journalist Hafid Derradji was among the internet users who slammed Wassem Yousef.
“We are not hostile to the UAE, the country, but rather the Emirates of disappointment and dishonor. We are hostile to anyone who is hostile to our homeland, Palestine, and who trade with its cause that is no longer your cause,” Derradji wrote.
(الداعية الإماراتي) وسيم يوسف يعتذر من كل رجل اسرائيلي أساء اليه سابقا”، ويعلن عداوتِه لكل من يعادي وطنه”!!
نحن لا نعادي الإمارات البلد، بل إمارات الخذلان والهوان، ونعادي كل من يعادي وطننا فلسطين، و يتاجر بقضيته التي لم تعد قضيتكم، بل قضية ثوار أحرار في كل مكان .. pic.twitter.com/rZuNE0N8nW— hafid derradji حفيظ دراجي (@derradjihafid) August 18, 2020
