ALBAWABA - Its trending and hot, in fact all over the social media. Bloggers and netizens are very happy as seen from their activities on the social platforms.
SHAMEFUL: Bahrain King yesterday fired Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa, a well-known politician and government minister, for refusing to shake hands with the Israeli ambassador. pic.twitter.com/G5zs28F9iN
— In Palestine- Today (@IPalToday) July 24, 2022
Bahrain's Minister of the Authority for Culture and Antiquities Sheikha Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa has simply refused to shake hands with the Israeli Ambassador in Manama Eitan Na'eh.
معالي الشيخة مي بنت محمد آل خليفة ورحلة الثقافة تاريخ مضيء بالإنجازات وتأسيس لقواعد مستقبل سيظل مشرقاً #شكرا_مي pic.twitter.com/QkNXyXd0lo
— Mohamed Buali (@MohammedBuali) July 22, 2022
The Jerusalem Post and few other websites have the full story.
According to the daily, it happened last month when she was attending a funeral service for the father of the US Ambassador to Bahrain Steven Bondy last month.
كــل الحُب
— نجاة (@najat_33) July 22, 2022
كــل الفخر
كــل التقدير
لَـك ❤️??
دمتِ ودامت انجازاتك خالدة ❤️??#شـكـراً_مي ❤️??@Mai_AlKhalifa pic.twitter.com/cTRtgk4cN5
News also can be seen under the hashtag in Arabic of (#شكرا_مي) with celebratory congratulations. Reports say when she was introduced to the Israeli ambassador, whom she didn't know, Minister Mai refused to shake his hand and walked out.
الشيخة مي?? #شكرا_مي pic.twitter.com/2TxKNFBTxd
— Salah Alhadi (@SalahAlhadi15) July 23, 2022
Its said that once the King of Bahrain Hamad bin Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa got to know of the incident he sacked the minister, who is a member of the royal family and had been in her job for the last 20 years and clearly well respected from the comments on the social media.
حيا الله موقف رئيسة هيئة الثقافة والآثار البحرينية الوزيرة الشيخة مي ال خليفة لموقفها القومي الشجاع برفض مصافحة سفير الكيان الصهيوني الغاصب في البحرين موقف شجاع لرفض التطبيع وعدم القبول به#شكرا_مي
— القانوني نزار الصياح (@FJWaKCjCQqCWVgB) July 23, 2022
That produced another angry comment on normalization with Israel. Bahrain had established full diplomatic relations with Israel at the end of 2020.
According to recent public opinion polls more than 60% of #Bahrainis oppose normalization with #Israel. Is King Hamad going to punish them as he did his Min. of Culture, Sheikha Mai bint Mohammed #Al_Khalifa for refusing to shake #Israeli diplomat’s hand? https://t.co/CWXQsnzYtl
— Khalil Jahshan (@KhalilEJahshan) July 23, 2022
Her name and image continues to trend
.@Mai_AlKhalifa The minister thanks solidarity activists <3
— Rima Najjar (@rima123) July 24, 2022
"Wide Arab public praise and solidarity with Bahraini Minister Sheikha Mai bint Mohammed; Hamas tweets: her position expresses that of all the Bahraini people."#masarbadil #NoToNormalization pic.twitter.com/pRhNcxKl5J
