Amidst the recent escalations between Israel and Palestine, various Arab celebrities expressed their support for the Palestinian cause openly even though it might cause them some problems in the future. Mohamed Saleh, the pride of the Arabs, on the other hand, remained radio-silent.
Many Arabs were waiting for Mohamed Saleh to stand in solidarity with Palestine, and talk about the oppression of Palestinians, including children and women, by the Israeli army. However, Mohammed Saleh opted for a no-comment policy.
His fans in the comment section of his latest post on Instagram scolded him for his radio-silence state on the Israeli-Palestinian issue, describing him as “the pride of Zionists.”
The netizens took to X (previously known as Twitter) to express their anger toward Saleh’s silence, perpetuating the hashtag ≠Pride_of_the_Arabs.
One X user said, “Mohamed Salah didn’t tweet it, so he compromised the cause and is not the pride of Arabs.”
Another X user commented, “By the way Mohamed Salah is a great player. We all love you… Every Arab country used to make pictures and statues of you. Their love for you died. You are supposed to appreciate what people love and wait for any stance from you.” Another one tweeted, “Of course, Salah won’t speak up because his livelihood is at stake, which is something that is unlikely to happen…
The biggest issue in this situation is the fact that some still consider him as the pride of the Arab world.” “Apparently Mohamed Saleh uses his account only on Christmas,” commented Ahmed Al-Maimoni, a member of the Human Rights Association, via X.
One internet user shared a video in which he angrily said, “You offered your condolences to the Queen of Britain, and you leave the families of the martyrs who have passed away, including children, women, and elderly,” adding, “Look at the situation of Gaza. Everyone is dying.”
Many people from the Arab world felt frustrated by the unexpected silence of the Egyptian player, given his international fame that can help shed light more on the heart-wrecking situation in Gaza and the continuous aggression of the Israeli army.
During the demonstration held in Washington D.C, one protester raised a picture of the Liverpool star, with a caption that read, “Missing… Last seen: Christmas Eve,” to express their disappointment in his silence regarding the conflict.
“I understand that you might be feeling angry at the moment, and you don’t know how to make a clear decision. Many people view you as a source of pride for the Arab community, and as such, they expect you to support them during times of need,” said Amr Adib during his show Al Hekaya.
Adib added that there might be some policies within Saleh’s football club that restrict players from expressing their individual political opinions, but there are some moments when decisions should be made, stressing that “you are now faced with a choice.”
On Sunday, the Egyptian player broke his silence and chose the side of Palestine by making a significant donation to the Egyptian Red Crescent to help the people of Gaza.
Yet, the amount of donations was not disclosed to the public.
The Egyptian Red Crescent took to Facebook to extend its thanks to Saleh, stating “Thank you from the heart Mohamed Saleh for supporting our families in the Strip of Gaza.”
This gesture has helped alleviate the intense backlash that the Liverpool player has been subjected to following the Israeli’s aggressive response to the surprise attack of Hamas on October 7.
He received positive comments, praising him for this action.