Channel 13 aired a video on Monday of Tamary sneaking into Mecca, Islam’s holiest city, defying the ban on non-Muslims. Makkah regional police “referred a citizen” to prosecutors for alleged complicity in “transporting and facilitating the entry of a (non-Muslim) journalist,” a police spokesman said in comments reported by Saudi Arabia’s official news agency. SPA did not name the journalist, but said he is an American citizen. It said his case has also been referred to prosecutors, “so that the necessary procedures can be initiated against him in accordance with the applicable law.” Tamary also holds American citizenship. Get The Times of Israel Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories By signing up, you agree to the terms To protect his partner’s identity, Tamary did not show his face and distorted his voice in the one-minute video posted on the news outlet’s Twitter account Monday, and Channel 13 aired a ten-minute report documenting his visit that night . Despite growing behind-the-scenes business and security contacts, Saudi Arabia does not recognize Israel and did not join the US-brokered 2020 Abraham Accords that saw the Jewish state forge ties with two of the kingdom’s neighbors, the U.N. United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. Channel 13’s Gil Tamary in Mecca, Saudi Arabia with the Grand Mosque in the background from footage broadcast on July 18, 2022. (Screenshot/Channel 13) In his roughly 10-minute clip, Tamary visits Mount Arafat, where robed Muslim pilgrims gather to pray during the peak of the hajj pilgrimage each year. He makes it clear that he knows what he’s doing is illegal, but says he wanted to showcase “a place that’s so important to our Muslim brothers and sisters.” Tamary’s vindication, and subsequent apology, did little to quell the angry backlash on Saudi social media. It also sparked outrage in Israel, with many denouncing the move as an unnecessary stunt. Criticism increased after it was revealed that his partner had been arrested. The controversy followed US President Joe Biden’s visit to both Israel and Saudi Arabia last week. On Tuesday – a day after the report aired – both Channel 13 and Tamary issued statements saying they apologized if the segment had offended Muslims, but stood by the decision to air it, calling it a major journalistic achievement. Mecca is a holy city for Muslims and the site of the hajj, or pilgrimage, which all able-bodied Muslims are commanded to make at least once in their lifetime. The city is also the birthplace of the Muslim prophet Muhammad and is home to numerous holy sites, including the Kaaba, the site Muslims face in prayer. According to current Saudi Arabian law, non-Muslims are prohibited from entering the holy city. A source in Jerusalem familiar with the matter told The Times of Israel on Wednesday that Israeli government officials were satisfied with the statements issued by Tamary and the network apologizing for airing the visit. The Israeli government itself did not comment on the broadcast, but the source familiar with the matter said it had caused a headache for Jerusalem, which is seeking to warm and eventually normalize relations with Saudi Arabia. Some analysts, citing widespread Muslim anger, argued that Tamary’s visit may well have further complicated normalization efforts. Earlier on Wednesday, Regional Cooperation Minister Esawi Frej, the second Muslim minister in Israel’s history, decried the TV report as “stupid”. “This is a holy place for Muslims,” Frej said. “What was the point? You want a report from there, send a Muslim journalist!… The damage from this will be significant,” he told public broadcaster Kan. Tamary was one of only three members of the Israeli press allowed into Saudi Arabia to cover the GCC+3 summit last weekend. Jacob Magid contributed to this report Join our Israeli cooking experience! Israeli cooking is stirring the world. Here’s your chance to join… The Times of Israel Community is excited to introduce our new virtual cooking series, B’Teavon, where world-renowned chefs show you how to make classic and modern Israeli dishes. Learn more Learn more Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this You are a devoted reader We are really glad that you read X Times of Israel articles last month. That’s why we started the Times of Israel ten years ago – to provide discerning readers like you with the must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world. So now we have a request. Unlike other media, we have not set up a paywall. 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