A Bahraini court ruled to sentence a man to three years in jail for burning an Israeli flag during a protest against U.S. President Donald Trump’s so-called Palestine peace plan that was unveiled last month.
“Burning flags constiutes a danger for traffic and public health,” according to the Bahraini Court's sentencing decision.
“This marks the first time Bahrain has punished a citizen for burning an Israeli flag. What’s interesting here is that the punishment for burning a flag in Israeli law is also 3 years,” said Adel Marzook, a well-known Bahraini journalist, said in a tweet.
Known for its fervent push for normalization of relations with Israel in the Gulf, Bahrain already took part in the White House unveiling ceremony for the so-called "Deal of the Century" in Washington, D.C.
U.S. President Dnald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Natenyahu also thanked Bahraini officials for attending the event.
Deal of Century ‘an occupation plan’
U.S. president Donald Trump unveiled the controversial “Deal of the Century,” on Jan. 28 to end one of the longest-running disputes in the Middle East.
Trump proposed an independent Palestinian state but with the recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank and Jerusalem as Israel's "undivided capital.”
The so-called peace plan unilaterally annuls previous UN resolutions on the Palestinian issue and suggests giving Israel almost everything it demanded.
The EU doesn’t recognize Israel’s sovereignty over territories it has occupied since 1967.
