Hamas: Normalization with Zionist enemy is sin that can't be forgiven

A trending Twitter hashtag in Saudi Arabia is a sign of changing attitudes toward Arab-Israel relations, the Gatestone Institute reports. "The_Palestinian_cause_is_not_my_cause" is reportedly a response to inflammatory statements made by Hamas officials and other Palestinian Arab representatives, decrying any signs of rapprochement between Israelis and Palestinians.

Last week, Hamas' leader in Gaza, Ismail Haniyeh, said: "Normalization with the Zionist enemy is considered a big crime and sin that can't be forgiven." He added that normalization with Israel is also considered a "stab in the back of the Palestinian people and a violation of their rights."

Such statements followed reports of Jews and Arabs eating the Iftar meal together that concludes the Ramadan fast, with Arabs who dared to invite Jews to their homes asking not to be photographed or named.

In recent months, Saudi media have broadcasted a number of shows portraying Israelis in a relatively balanced light, something that Hamas and other pro-Intifada groups have virulently objected to.