Algerian poster mocks Salman-Trump 'bromance', triggers diplomatic crisis with Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia's heavy-handed policies and perceived betrayal of Jerusalem and the Palestinian cause have turned much of the Arab public opinion against Riyadh, most recently in Algeria.

On Saturday, supporters of Algeria’s Ain Melilla football club staged a pro-Palestine rally in an Algiers stadium, reported Anadolu Agency.

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Some of them carried a massive banner portraying a composite image of a face, half of which belonged to the US president Donald Trump while the other half belonged to the Saudi king Salman bin Abdulaziz, suggesting complicity on handing over Jerusalem to Israel.

The banner was accompanied by a caption, reading: “Two faces for the same coin.”

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Suffice to say, the Saudis were not impressed. On Sunday, Saudi Ambassador to Algeria Sami bin Abdullah al-Saleh voiced the Saudi kingdom’s "annoyance” with the image and threatened measures.

"We will look into the authenticity of this image and take the appropriate response," al-Saleh vowed on his Twitter account.

Algerian media has since reported that FIFA, at Riyadh's request, asked the country's Football Federation to investigate the incident.

The image has gone viral on social media, as Saudi media outlets described it as an "insult" to King Salman. Several Saudi commentators expressed bemusement, some calling the Algerians 'scum' like Ayid al-Hersan.

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Saudi Arabia's muted response to Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, and consistent reports of warming Israeli-Saudi ties, did not go unnoticed by the Arab public.

Protesters denouncing the Jerusalem move in Jordan, Lebanon and even Gaza have used anti-Saudi slogans in their protests to express their fury with Riyadh, some burning pictures of the Saudi crown prince and de-facto king Mohammed, Salman's son.

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