Saudi authorities have officially expressed irritation after a group of pro-Palestinian protestors in Algeria held a massive sign presenting U.S. President Donald Trump and King Salman as "two faces of the same coin".
During a football match on Saturday, fans of Algeria’s Ain Melilla football club held up a massive sign that portrayed a split face – half the Saudi king and half the U.S. president – and an image of Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque.
"We will look into the authenticity of this image and take the appropriate response," Saudi Ambassador to Algeria Sami bin Abdullah al-Saleh said, according to Turkey's Anadolu Agency, expressing the kingdom's "annoyance".
The protest came in response to Trump's highly controversial and internationally condemned decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to the holy city.
Saudi media called the images from the protest, which were widely shared on social media, offensive to the king. The protest also came as Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Ibrahim al-Sheikh, chairman of the Saudi Shura Council, arrived in the North African country to discuss bilateral ties between the two Arab nations, according to Al Jazeera.
Saudi Arabia's King Salman has openly condemned Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as the Israeli capital.
"The kingdom has called for a political solution to resolve regional crises, foremost of which is the Palestinian issue and the restoration of the Palestinian people's legitimate rights, including the right to establish their independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital," the Saudi king said in a televised address after Trump's declaration.
The king continued, saying Trump's move "represents an extreme bias against the rights of the Palestinian people in Jerusalem that have been guaranteed by international resolutions".
Trump's Jerusalem decision came despite criticism from leaders around the world. The move also went against decades of established U.S. foreign policy and stands in stark contrast to the international consensus regarding Palestine and Israel.
Every single nation on the United Nations Security Council cast a symbolic vote against Trump's decision on Monday, but the U.S. vetoed the resolution.
In response to Trump's declaration, protests have erupted throughout the Middle East and around the world. Muslim leaders have also called for the recognition of East Jerusalem as Palestine's official capital.