KUWAIT: Kuwaitis take part in a protest in solidarity with the Palestinian people yesterday. - Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

By B Izzak

KUWAIT: Kuwait summoned yesterday the ambassador of the Czech Republic in the country after a social media post in support of the Zionist entity stirred nationwide online criticism. This comes as Zionist air strikes continued to hammer the Gaza Strip after a week of violence that has killed more than 200 people, the large majority Palestinian.

Martin Dvorak uploaded on his personal Instagram account an image of himself, with a Zionist flag, along with a statement that said: "I stand with (the Zionist entity)." Yesterday, he deleted the post and issued a letter of apology that said he was "extremely remorseful".

The foreign ministry of Kuwait - which has no official ties with the Zionist entity - said it summoned the ambassador earlier that day to express their "absolute rejection of his actions that go against the nature of his diplomatic position". It said in a statement that the ministry "categorically rejects and strongly disapproves" of Dvorak's rhetoric on his personal Instagram account.

Dvorak said in the letter uploaded on the embassy's Twitter account that "it was extremely insensitive of me towards the feelings of many of my close Kuwaiti and Muslim friends, and I want to apologize to them, as well as to all Kuwaitis and Palestinians, and to anyone else who feels aggrieved by this".

Thousands of Kuwaiti residents took to social media to express their discontent, with some calling for Dvorak's departure, along with the hashtag #FreePalestine. "It is not enough to apologize. The ambassador should be expelled," said one Twitter user. Another commented on the ambassador's Instagram account, saying: "Think twice before you support a country that kills children." "You are not welcome in Kuwait" and "shame on you", others said.

In a related development, an American school in Kuwait terminated the services of an American teacher after she posted support for the Zionist entity on her Facebook page. In the past week, Kuwaitis have held multiple protests in support of the Palestinians. But the government yesterday prevented a pro-Palestinian gathering from taking place at Irada Square opposite the National Assembly building. The ban was later lifted briefly and a demonstration was allowed to take place.

Student organizations and activists had planned the gathering to express their support to the Palestinian people in the face of continued Zionist air raids and to call on the government to support the Palestinians. Two opposition MPs said they will file to grill Interior Minister Sheikh Thamer Al-Sabah for preventing the gathering, although organizers said they had obtained permission from health authorities.

MPs Thamer Al-Suwait and Abdulkarim Al-Kandari, who vowed to grill Sheikh Thamer, held the interior minister responsible for not applying the law. Suwait accused the minister of being "selective and oppressive" in applying the law, which unlawfully prevented the Kuwaiti people from expressing their solidarity and support for the Palestinian cause. Kandari also accused the interior minister of "opening and closing" Irada Square as "he wishes" and selectively applying the law, charging this amounts to violating the constitution.

The National Assembly office has decided to hold a special session next week to discuss Zionist aggressions on the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem and attacks on Gaza, Speaker Marzouq Al-Ghanem said yesterday. Ghanem said he was informed by HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Sabah that the government will attend the special session.

He added the Assembly office asked the Assembly's legal and legislative committee to complete a draft law to stiffen penalties for dealing or sympathizing with the Zionist state. Ghanem said the session will discuss any form of assistance that can be provided to Palestinian brothers.

Ten lawmakers yesterday submitted a motion calling to hold a special Assembly session to be completely devoted to debating grillings against three ministers. They include the ministers of health, foreign affairs and finance, and could include the interior minister if opposition MPs file their grilling soon. The next Assembly session is on May 25 and it will be the first session in almost one month following suspension of sessions due to a dispute over the grilling of the prime minister.