Saudi Prince Turki al-Faisal Describes Israel as A ‘Western Colonizing’ Entity
Prince Turki al-Faisal, who led Saudi intelligence for more than two decades and served as ambassador to the US and UK, said any normalization deals needed to help the Palestinians obtain their own independent state.
He described Israel as a "Western colonizing" 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," AP reported.
Although the prince does not hold any official position, his stance is seen as closely mirroring that of King Salman. In contrast, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has signaled greater willingness to quietly engage with Israel.
Prince Turki's comments come as neighboring Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates recently moved to normalize relations and establish ties with Israel, angering the Arab and Muslim world.
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
