[[{"content_id":367264,"content_number":0,"portal_id":2,"lang_id":"en","content_title":"More rejection of normalization deals:\r\n\r\nKuwaitis ‘proud of’ chess champion for refusing to face Israeli player","content_rtitr":"","content_short_title":null,"content_summary":"A Kuwaiti chess player has refused to play against an Israeli opponent at Spain’s Sunway International Chess Championship, in an act of solidarity with the Palestinian people and a fresh blow to the occupying Zionist regime’s status in the world.","content_summary_fill":1,"content_body":"Fide Master Bader al-Hajri, one of Kuwait&rsquo;s chess champions who had secured first place in 2015&rsquo;s &ldquo;San Sebastian&rdquo; championship in Spain, withdrew on Tuesday from the competitions as he rejected to face an Israeli settler.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOn social media, Arab activists lauded al-Hajri as a champion of &ldquo;rejecting Arab countries&rsquo; normalization&rdquo; with the Israeli regime by refusing to face &ldquo;an Israeli settler.&rdquo;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe activist said they are &ldquo;proud of him&rdquo; while noting that the Israelis must be &ldquo;mad at him.&rdquo;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&ldquo;God bless him and may God reward him well,&rdquo; a Twitter user tweeted, with many others echoing similar sentiments.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThis is not the first time a Kuwaiti player refuses to face an Israeli opponent.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nLast month, Kuwaiti fencer Mohamed al-Fadli withdrew from the World Fencing Championships held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to avoid facing an Israeli opponent.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nFadli also withdrew from an international tournament in the Dutch capital, Amsterdam, in September 2019, after the draw placed him in a group competing with an Israeli player.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIn January, teenage Kuwaiti tennis player Muhammad al-Awadi earned widespread praise for his support for the Palestinian cause after he withdrew from an international tennis tournament held in the UAE to avoid facing an Israeli opponent.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThroughout the years, similar measures have been taken by scores of players from Muslim-majority countries, including Iran, Sudan, Libya, Algeria, and Lebanon.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMeanwhile, the governments of Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Qatar, and Kuwait have also slammed normalization agreements between Israel and four Muslim countries &ndash; the UAE, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco &ndash; and have expressed their unwavering support for the Palestinian cause.","content_html":"<p dir=\"LTR\"><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">Fide Master Bader al-Hajri, one of Kuwait&rsquo;s chess champions who had secured first place in 2015&rsquo;s &ldquo;San Sebastian&rdquo; championship in Spain, withdrew on Tuesday from the competitions as he rejected to face an Israeli settler<span dir=\"RTL\">.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p dir=\"LTR\">&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p dir=\"LTR\"><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">On social media, Arab activists lauded al-Hajri as a champion of &ldquo;rejecting Arab countries&rsquo; normalization&rdquo; with the Israeli regime by refusing to face &ldquo;an Israeli settler<span dir=\"RTL\">.&rdquo;<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p dir=\"LTR\">&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p dir=\"LTR\"><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">The activist said they are &ldquo;proud of him&rdquo; while noting that the Israelis must be &ldquo;mad at him<span dir=\"RTL\">.&rdquo;<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p dir=\"LTR\">&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p dir=\"LTR\"><span style=\"font-size:16px;\"><span dir=\"RTL\">&ldquo;<\/span>God bless him and may God reward him well,&rdquo; a Twitter user tweeted, with many others echoing similar sentiments<span dir=\"RTL\">.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p dir=\"LTR\">&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p dir=\"LTR\"><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">This is not the first time a Kuwaiti player refuses to face an Israeli opponent<span dir=\"RTL\">.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p dir=\"LTR\">&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p dir=\"LTR\"><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">Last month, Kuwaiti fencer Mohamed al-Fadli withdrew from the World Fencing Championships held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to avoid facing an Israeli opponent<span dir=\"RTL\">.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p dir=\"LTR\">&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p dir=\"LTR\"><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">Fadli also withdrew from an international tournament in the Dutch capital, Amsterdam, in September 2019, after the draw placed him in a group competing with an Israeli player<span dir=\"RTL\">.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p dir=\"LTR\">&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p dir=\"LTR\"><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">In January, teenage Kuwaiti tennis player Muhammad al-Awadi earned widespread praise for his support for the Palestinian cause after he withdrew from an international tennis tournament held in the UAE to avoid facing an Israeli opponent<span dir=\"RTL\">.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p dir=\"LTR\">&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p dir=\"LTR\"><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">Throughout the years, similar measures have been taken by scores of players from Muslim-majority countries, including Iran, Sudan, Libya, Algeria, and Lebanon<span dir=\"RTL\">.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p dir=\"LTR\">&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p dir=\"LTR\"><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">Meanwhile, the governments of Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Qatar, and Kuwait have also slammed normalization agreements between Israel and four Muslim countries &ndash; the UAE, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco &ndash; and have expressed their unwavering support for the Palestinian cause.<\/span><\/p>","content_source":"","content_url":"","content_date_start":"2022-05-05 09:00:19","content_date_event":"2022-05-05 09:00:19","content_date_event_start":null,"content_date_event_end":null,"content_show_title_slider":1,"content_date_last_edit":"2022-05-05 09:09:27","content_date_register":"2022-05-05 09:09:27","content_columns":0,"content_show_img":1,"content_show_details":0,"content_show_related_img":0,"content_show_slider":1,"content_comment":1,"content_score":0,"tag_id":0,"score_average":null,"score_count":null,"score_date_last":null,"uid":43,"eid":0,"attach_title":"More rejection of normalization deals:\r\n\r\nKuwaitis ‘proud of’ chess champion for refusing to face Israeli player","attaches":[{"sizes":{"150":".\/cache\/2\/attach\/202205\/503211_3372016590_150_84.webp","300":".\/cache\/2\/attach\/202205\/503211_3372016590_300_169.webp","400":".\/cache\/2\/attach\/202205\/503211_3372016590_400_225.webp","600":".\/cache\/2\/attach\/202205\/503211_3372016590_600_338.webp","900":".\/cache\/2\/attach\/202205\/503211_3372016590_900_507.webp","1200":".\/cache\/2\/attach\/202205\/503211_3372016590_1000_563.jpg"},"ext":"jpg","file_media":1,"token":3372016590,"files":{"original":{"url":".\/file\/2\/attach\/202205\/503211_3372016590.jpg","width":1000,"height":563,"size":0}}}]}]]