On December 6, Prince Turki bin Faisal Al Saud of Saudi Arabia severely criticized Israel at the Bahrain Security Summit. Previously, it was reported that the Saudi Crown Prince and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu had held a secret meeting and wanted to explore the possibility of normalizing relations between the two countries under the “match” of the United States, and the prince’s statement once again put a question mark on this possibility.
Prince Turki Faisal said at the meeting on December 6 that Israel made Palestinians live in “darker reality” with “the most untenable security allegations”, and that the Israeli government also “slandered and demonized Saudi Arabia”, but “they expressed their desire to Saudi Arabia becomes a friend.
The United States wants to “match” the normalization of Saudi-Israel relations
The report pointed out that Prince Turki Faisal accused Israel of portraying itself as a “small, threatened country surrounded by bloodthirsty killers who want to destroy him” in his “unusual outspoken speech”.
Prince Turki Faisal finally reiterated Saudi Arabia’s official position, saying that the solution lies in the implementation of the Arab Peace Initiative. He also said that “open wounds cannot be treated with palliatives and painkillers”.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gaby Ashkenazi, who attended the meeting remotely, expressed regret for the comments after Prince Turki Faisal’s speech and said that he did not believe that the words reflected “the spirit and changes that are taking place in the Middle East”.
The Saudi Prince said: “Israel still wants to make friends if it slanders Saudi Arabia?”
2002 summit of the League of Arab States unanimously adopted the “Arab Peace Initiative” based on the new proposal put forward by Saudi Arabia and identified it as the basic principle for negotiating a settlement of the Arab-Israeli dispute with Israel.
The initiative calls for Israel’s full withdrawal from all Arab territories occupied since 1967, acceptance of the establishment of a sovereign and independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, and a just solution to the Palestine refugee problem in accordance with United Nations resolutions.
On this basis, the Arab countries will sign a peace agreement with Israel and gradually establish normal relations with Israel on the premise of achieving a comprehensive peace. After the adoption of this initiative, it received the active support of the international community, but it was rejected by the Sharon government in Israel at that time, which prevented the initiative to be implemented.
Original title: “Saudi Princes Summit slammed Israel: “Defamation of Saudi Arabia and want to make friends with Saudi Arabia?”
