[Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman speaking to Fox News’ Bret Baier. (X/@Bandaralgaloud)]
NEOM City: In a first official statement coming from none other than the second highest authority of Saudi Arabia about Saudi-Israel ties, Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, said the two countries are “coming closer” with every passing day.
The powerful Saudi Crown Prince, touted as the de-facto ruler of the Kingdom, however said the Palestinian issue is paramount that needs to be solved.
“Every day we get closer toward the Kingdom normalizing relations with Israel”, Prince Mohammed told Bret Baier of US TV network Fox News in an interview recorded at NEOM.
NEOM is the futuristic city under construction near Tabuk – over 600 kms from The Prophet’s City Madinah.
“For us, the Palestinian issue is very important. We need to solve that part,” the crown prince said when asked what it would take to get a normalization agreement. “We got to see where we go. We hope that will reach a place, that it will ease the life of the Palestinians, gets Israel as a player in the Middle East”, he added.
“For us, the Palestinian issue is very important. We need to solve that part,” the crown prince said when asked what it would take to get a normalization agreement.
“We got to see where we go. We hope that will reach a place, that it will ease the life of the Palestinians, gets Israel as a player in the Middle East”, he added.
When asked by Baier if negotiations between the Kingdom and Israel had been suspended, the crown prince said:
“No, that is not true.”
The Saudi Crown Prince also said it would be the largest agreement since the end of the Cold War if the Biden administration brokered an agreement between Saudi Arabia and Israel.
Talks about Saudi Arabia normalising ties with Israel has always been a point of discussion mainly because of the latter’s occupation of the Palestinian territories and its use of force against the Palestinians including women and children.
Full interview Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman part 1#SaudiArabia #America pic.twitter.com/x55zXMm4Ah— CBKNEWS (@CBKNEWS121) September 20, 2023
Full interview Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman part 1#SaudiArabia #America pic.twitter.com/x55zXMm4Ah
That the Kingdom will soon announce a diplomatic relationship with Israel took centre stage when the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain embraced the fascist state after “negotiations” carried by Trump administration in 2020.
Mohammed bin Salman’s statement about Saudi Israel ties came days after a high level Israeli delegation arrived in the Kingdom for UNESCO World Heritage Summit 2023. This is the first official and publicly announced visit by an Israeli delegation.
In his latest interview, Mohammed bin Salman also talked about the Saudi Arabia's relationship with Iran, the United States and President Joe Biden, and its ties with China, and Russia and its war with Ukraine.
Especially talking about Iran's nuclear program, MbS, as the Saudi Crown Prince is also called, said:
“If Iran acquires a nuclear weapon, the Kingdom would also need one”.
He however said the concerns about nuclear weapons not limited just to Iran, but it's deadly impact.
"The world would not like to see another Hiroshima", he said.
The Saudi Crown Prince also discussed in good details about Saudi GDP, its economy, oil suply and about his Vision 2030, including the inter-continental railway project announced during the G20 Summit 2023 held in New Delhi, and more interestingly the Kingdom's "football diplomacy".
For all the latest News, Opinions and Views, download ummid.com App.
Select Language To Read in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic.
