Arab users of Twitter were outraged on Monday, after a video posted to Twitter showed President Isaac Herzog talking with the Prime Minister of Tunisia, Najla Bouden, at the COP27 climate conference being held in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.
Herzog and Bouden were seen smiling during their brief exchange at the conference, according to Ynet.
Responses to the video referred to Bouden’s smile toward Herzog as an "unacceptable offense" on her part, and noted that she seemed embarrassed by the kindness and politeness that Herzog showed towards her.
Some users described the interaction between the two leaders as a "quick conversation of normalization" during an official photo shoot as part of the conference, but noted that the exchange lasted only a few seconds.
Others blasted the exchange and described the conversation as "normalization between Tunisia and the occupation", according to Ynet.
One user wrote that the interaction was a "shame" and a "scandal", and added: "Normalization is tantamount to betrayal."
Tunisia, like most Arab countries, does not have diplomatic relations with Israel. After several Arab countries normalized ties with Israel in 2020 as part of the Abraham Accords, Tunisia reiterated it is not interested in establishing diplomatic relations with Israel and its position will not be affected by any international changes.
In 2014, Tunisia's tourism minister faced criticism from parliamentarians over a trip to Israel she took in 2006 to take part in a UN training program for Palestinian Arab youths.
In 2018, a Tunisian legislator ripped up an Israeli flag during a parliament session to push his demands for a law criminalizing relations with Israel.
Tunisian President Kais Saied in early 2020 described then-US President Donald Trump’s proposed peace deal for Israel and the Palestinian Authority as the "injustice of the century".