A leading London-based Saudi dissident once fêted as her country’s first female professional jockey has referred to terrorists as “martyrs” and called for Tel Aviv to “burn”.
A prominent critic of the Saudi regime, Alya Abutayah Alhwaiti, who was the first Saudi woman to ride for her country at international level and met the then-Prince Charles, is regularly quoted in the international media.
She has more than 88,000 followers on Twitter and uses the platform to attack the Saudi regime and Jews — often in the same tweet.
Last month, when a tourist was killed and several others injured after a terrorist drove into them in a Tel Aviv park before being shot dead by police, Alhwati tweeted: “May Tel Aviv burn…”
She added: “As for the martyr may God have mercy on him, his fragrant end, he rose to the garden of eternity. May God bless you, men of Palestine and its lions.”
Her regular attacks on the Saudi leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, often also include remarks about his supposed links to Jews.
For example, in August, she called the prince “the descendant of the Jew, Markhan [the founder of the first Saudi state], his puppies and his dogs”.
Another of Alya Alhwait's tweets (Twitter)
In July last year, she claimed the prince had “built … a temple in which he teaches and spreads the Jewish religion… There are still idiots who believe that these rulers are from us or from our kind. [They are] neither Arabs nor Muslims.”
In January 2020, she claimed Saudi Arabia “is led by Jewish education” and that “the Israelis are with Muhammad Saud [another reference to Markhan] in Riyadh, how did they enter?!
“Blush, the Israeli Jew, how did they enter the city?”
She claimed the Saudi dynasty would not have come to power “had it not been for Israel”, and described them as “the pimps of the homelands on behalf of the Zionists”.
Alhwaiti, 37, first came to prominence when she was placed seventh in a 120-km endurance race in Dubai. She was sponsored by members of the Saudi royal family and flew to events in their private jets.
However, she moved to Britain in 2011, becoming a vehement critic of the Saudi regime which, she claimed, led to death threats.
In October 2020, she defended the former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, saying: “He is dismissed from the leadership of the party in which he worked all his life, accused of making statements considered antisemitic”.
She also has claimed French President Emmanuel Macron “spreads hatred”, ensuring that “everything related to the Jewish heritage and religion is untouched while Islam is attacked.”
Asked about her comments by the JC, Alhwati said: “My advice to you to find a better translator…”
She added: “What you wrote is not true at all. I have no problem with the Jewish religion or people… the whole world problem with the occupation, four Arabic land called Palestine, it so clear!”
She then sent a tweet urging “those who reside in Britain, Europe and the West” not to worry about losing their immigration status by being politically outspoken.
She went on: “must not fear for their residence and turn into a lump of cowardice and hypocrisy. So, for saying what is righteous about Gaza and to support their just cause #Palestine, write in support…
“This is not why you left your homes, fighting injustice in your home countries, so you kneel to the white man like your leaders for a residence or passport!”
She added: “Life is nothing but belief and jihad.
“Those who have the dream of liberation will not be defeated by the armies of the world and their arsenals.”