Saudi-Israel Diplomatic Relations Drift Apart... Saudi Prince Publicly Criticizes at International Conference

Close Aide to Saudi King Strongly Condemns Israel
Diplomatic Talks Mentioned but Palestinian Issue Remains a Stumbling Block

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] A senior member of the Saudi Arabian royal family publicly condemned Israel. Amid speculation about the possibility of diplomatic relations between the two countries, such as Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Prince Turki Al-Faisal, a close aide to King Salman bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia, poured cold water on the situation, drawing attention to whether the atmosphere of improving relations between the two countries will continue.

On the 6th (local time), Prince Turki, former head of Saudi intelligence, criticized Israel at the international security forum "Manama Dialogue" held in Bahrain, calling it "the last Western colonial power remaining in the Middle East." Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi was also present at the event.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia (right) and Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel [Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

Minister Ashkenazi expressed "regret over the Saudi side's remarks," calling them "statements that do not reflect the changes taking place in the Middle East."

This is a stark contrast to just two weeks ago when Crown Prince bin Salman and Prime Minister Netanyahu held a secret meeting. However, Saudi Arabia's attitude was already hinted at during that time. While Israel reacted with surprise to the meeting, Saudi Arabia did not even acknowledge the meeting itself.

Normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel symbolizes a huge change in the future Middle East order.

Under the leadership of U.S. President Donald Trump and others, countries such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain established diplomatic relations with Israel, leading to observations that the Middle East situation is significantly changing. In particular, if Saudi Arabia, the dominant power in the Middle East, also establishes diplomatic ties with Israel, it is expected that the geopolitical landscape of the region will change dramatically.

However, Prince Turki's recent remarks reflect that it is still premature for Saudi Arabia and Israel to establish diplomatic relations.

There is analysis that the Saudi royal family holds differing views regarding relations with Israel. King Salman, who is deeply concerned about the Palestinian issue, criticizes Israel's policies toward Palestine, while Crown Prince bin Salman is more favorable.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan also raised the establishment of an independent Palestinian state as a condition for normalizing relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel.

There are also points made that Saudi Arabia's diplomatic position with Israel is inherently limited. Saudi Arabia has played a leadership role not only in the Middle East but also among Islamic countries, and it is analyzed that Saudi diplomacy will find it difficult to respond flexibly while the Israel-Palestine issue remains unresolved.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.