Not sure if I'm too cynical, or if this is a red flag for my best friend

[JMSA]

My best friend has been on the dating scene for a while. I'm on a break from it! Like me, she's had mixed success, but a largely positive experience overall.
She's got chatting through online dating to a Palestinian chap. He's educated, attractive, extremely interesting (she loves finding out about his culture), kind, professional. They've been enjoying some good chat and have had video calls too. He's over there but plans to visit in the summer; his ex wife is British.
I'm pleased for her but something she told me last night rang an alarm bell. He isn't a sleazy guy at all, but the other night she turned the conversation to sex. She asked if - because of his religion - they would be able to have sex when they meet in the summer. He said that he could do other 'stuff' with her, but that he wouldn't ever have full sex before marriage. His ex wife is the only woman he has been with.
He told my friend that he isn't attracted to the women back home, and that he is attracted to Western women. But why pursue them when he can't have sex with them? I don't know, to me it doesn't make sense.
He is able to work in the UK, so I don't think it can be for Visa purposes. My friend isn't well-off either.
Jesus, I sound jaded I don't mean to. I do generally have good boundaries though, and something about this seems like a red flag. He has told my friend that he is falling for her, and I don't want to see her get hurt.
Of course I'll support her whatever - and I know that it's none of my business really (just in anticipation of someone saying that ) - but I thought I'd run this past you lot, since we have too many shared friends in real life.
Thanks.

Someone's after marriage to get to stay in the U.K. 🚨

FFS, do neither of you have a brain? Sorry, this is extremely blunt but meeting foreign men online, particularly from a strictly religious country who just happen to not like women from their own country and expecting any sort of healthy relationship to form is stupidity at best.

This leads one of three ways.

1 He's a love scammer who's going to aim to fleece her (the most likely reason).

2 She ends up moving to Palestine and basically becomes his slave/wife Remember that UK woman who got banged up in Egypt for taking her lovely husband their prescription drugs? And turned out she was basically someone he married but kept away so he could have sex with her every few months and get her to bring expensive drugs over he could sell while he had his actual family there.

3 He uses her to get a UK passport (probably the least likely, there's easier ways).

Your friend is a fool. The likelihood of this turning into anything real is in the fractions of a percent. He's already 'falling for her' without actually meeting, She has no idea even if the guy is real at this stage but regardless, this won't end well.

He told my friend that he isn't attracted to the women back home, and that he is attracted to Western women

This is bollocks.

Bad bad idea.

Agreed, hence me posting on here.

He probably already has a wife over there. Your friend sounds a bit desperate, ripe for fleecing.

Very silly.

She needs to be messaging men who lives in the same area as her, not waste time on someone who lives in another country, not to mention the fact that he is from a totally different culture/religion that does not have the best track record in term of women's rights.

And that is if the guy is even genuine...

Are people really that naive?

I think it’s a leap to say he’s going to propose and marry her, if it was for the visa. As he’s a British ex wife he could have had that….but virtual dating a man she’s never met in Palestine is quite odd if she wishes a real life relationship

I think you're going to get of lot racist and ignorant comments on this thread that aren't going to be terribly helpful. We can already seem some bold assertions made in comments on the basis of very little information.

Your friend is being unwise in pursuing a relationship with someone so far away. LDRs can work but shouldn't be actively sought because they are so very difficult and the bond needs to be very strong.

But the man's statements are honest and culturally normal. They might be surprising to you but they're not rare or immoral or perverted.

I know white British women who only date black guys. I know white British men who only date Asian women. I know lots and lots of white people who only date white people. It's ok to have a type.

And it's equally OK for him to have boundaries around which sexual behaviours he engages in.

I'd address this with your friend as to the realism and practicalities of distance, which is a real issue and steer away from conversations which she might find offensive or culturally judgmental.

I know your intentions are good but you need to pick your words carefully and I think you're trying to label things as potential red flags that would be perfectly normal to many who've had a different experience of life (I'm White British but Iived in Asia).

Hoping this thread stays ok.