Saudi Prince criticizes Israel at a summit
MANAMA, BAHREIN - JUNE 26: Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Jared Kushner, U.S. President Donald Trumps senior White House adviser and son-in-law attend U.S.-led workshop in Manama, Bahrain on June 26, 2019. U.S.-led conference opened in Bahrain on Tuesday, during which U.S. officials are expected to unveil the economic portion of the American back-channel Middle East peace plan known as "deal of the century". (Photo by BNA - Pool/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
Riyadh, 6th December: A prominent Saudi Prince has criticized Israel at a security summit held in Bahrain on Sunday.
According to reports, at a Bahrain security summit where Israel’s foreign minister was in attendance, a prominent Saudi prince harshly criticised Israel on Sunday.
Reports from Dawn News say that Prince Turki al-Faisal, who led Saudi intelligence for more than two decades and served as ambassador to the United States and Britain, warned that any normalisation deals needed to help the Palestinians obtain their own independent state.
He described Israel as a “Western colonising” power. He said Israel has “incarcerated Palestinians in concentration camps under the flimsiest of security accusations, young and old, women and men, who are rotting there without recourse to justice. They are demolishing homes as they wish and they assassinate whomever they want.”
The prince’s stance is seen as close to that of King Salman. However, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has shown a greater willingness to quietly engage with Israel to counter common rival, Iran, and boost foreign investment in the kingdom.
Prince Turki’s comments come after the neighbouring countries Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates recently established ties with Israel.
Meanwhile, Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi, who spoke immediately after Prince Turki, said: “I would like to express my regret on the comments of the Saudi representative. I don’t believe that they reflect the spirit and the changes taking place in the Middle East,” he said.
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