Kuwaiti government forces shop to close for selling Star of David necklaces

Kuwaiti law prohibits contact and visits to Israel, and any efforts to normalize ties with the Jewish state.

By Shiryn Ghermezian, The Algemeiner

Kuwait’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry has ordered a shop in the city of Salmiya to close for selling Star of David necklaces that are illegal by law, The Jewish Chronicle first reported.

The ministry said in a Twitter post on Aug. 27 that an arrest had been made due to the “sale of slogans in violation of the public order of the state.” Included in the tweet was a photo of the two accessories featuring the Jewish symbol. The ministry also said that legal action was being taken against the seller.

A spokesperson for the Embassy of Israel in London slammed the ministry’s actions, telling The Jewish Chronicle: “We are not familiar with the details of the case, but if it is true that a store was closed because of the sale of a Star of David and other Judaica items, this is a clear antisemitic act. It is unacceptable that a state would so blatantly and aggressively attack freedom of religion.”

Kuwait does not formally recognize Israel and when the Abraham Accords were signed the Gulf country declared that it would “be the last” to normalize relations with the Jewish state. In May 2021, the Kuwaiti parliament passed a bill prohibiting contact and visits to Israel, and any efforts to normalize ties with the country. Violators risk facing jail time and fines.

Kuwaiti athletes have withdrawn from competitions to avoid going head-to-head with rivals from Israel and Kuwait Airways was at the center of a lawsuit in 2018 when it refused to board an Israeli passenger due to his nationality.