Why is Israel always in quotes?
Most Arabs in their media and discourse refer to it as the occupation or the enemy. We see them as temporary visitors like the Crusaders or Mongols. We don’t see them as a part of the region.
In the past this would have been considered “antisemitic” but thankfully -perhaps inadvertently- the settlers’ president admitted to them being a western transplant. So did the tech company Wix.
Them not being part of the region doesn’t mean they don’t exist.
I fully support the Palestinian cause - I’m Irish, so that’s not a shock - but the quotes just looks petty and childish, like the Americans still saying “Drumpf”.
Acknowledging something is real is probably the first step to dealing with a threat.
We don’t deny their existence but we refuse to normalize it. Otherwise in total they are fewer than the population of Riyadh, not really a threat without US and Western support.