The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has told United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken that he doesn’t personally prioritize and care about the “Palestinian issue,” as reported by US magazine The Atlantic.
According to the Atlantic reports, the Crown Prince made these statements during Blinken’s visit to Saudi Arabia in January, where the two officials discussed the potential for normalization against the backdrop of Israel’s military offence in war-torn Gaza.
In his conversation with Blinken, the Saudi crown prince allegedly remarked, “Seventy percent of my population is younger than me. For most of them, they never really knew much about the Palestinian issue. And so they are being introduced to it for the first time through this conflict. It’s a huge problem. Am I personally interested in the Palestinian issue? I don’t but my people do so I have to make sure that’s meaningful.”
However, he emphasized the need to work on the issue of the establishment of Palestinian statehood as a critical component of any normalisation deal with Israel. Reports indicate that Bin Salman fears for his safety in pursuing normalization openly without significant concessions for Palestinians, citing the assassination of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat as a cautionary tale.
Before the current escalation of violence in Gaza, reports emerged about the secret agreement between Saudi Arabia and Israel for the formation of diplomatic relations, along with the provision of American security and power, and financial support for a Saudi Arabian nuclear power programme.
However, following the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, which inflicted many losses, the Saudi officials paused negotiations, reaffirming that any normalization must not come at the expense of Palestinian rights.
Saudi official denies claims
Speaking on the assertions, a Saudi official has refuted the account of a conversation between the Crown Prince and Antony Blinken stating that the claims are “incorrect”, Middle East Eye reported.
It remains ambiguous whether the crown Prince has made these controversial comments downplaying the significance of the Palestinian issue. The Saudi authorities have not issued an official statement on the matter and the context of the official’s denial is limited in the Middle East Eye report.
