“You cannot treat an open wound with palliatives and painkillers; the Abraham Accords can only succeed if the Arab Peace Initiative is revived”, said Saudi Arabia’s Prince Turki Al Faisal Al Saud at the IISS Manama Dialogue (Dec 4-Dec 6) in Bahrain.
The conference –key delegates from some 20 countries attended in person, was opened by US Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo with an address.
Turki al-Faisal, (Turki bin Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud) is a highly respected and well known Saudi politician and diplomat. A member of the House of Saud, he currently serves as the chairman of King Faisal Foundation’s Center for Research and Islamic Studies, according to Wikipedia. Born in Makkah in 1945, he is the seventh child and youngest son of the late Saudi King Faisal and Iffat Al-Thunayyan. His mother Princess Iffat, was born to a Turkish mother and an Arab father. She subsequently died on 17 February 2000.
Anything less than a independent #Palestinian State would be selling its self short and is a price well below its worth. The price has to hurt #Israel as much as it will ultimately hurt #Saudi.
Prince Talal Muhammad Abdullah Al Faisal
The Saudi prince throwing his weight on “2-state solution” at the Manama Dialogue –a unique forum for government ministers, as well as members of the expert, opinion-forming and business communities, to debate the Middle East’s most pressing security challenges, –is significant say several observers.
“Prince Turki Al Faisal’s voice reflects that of the overwhelming majority of the Arab people”, says a highly respected Gulf political analyst. “Israel is an occupying power emboldened and on the rampage because of US support,” he says.
According to him, “there will only be peace if there is a 2 state solution”.
A Saudi scholar when asked to comment said “You are right brother,”and shared a video clip of Prince Turki’s speech at the Manama Dialogue:
ALSO: Prince Talal Muhammad Abdullah Al Faisal tweeted his views on the same matter:
There’s a narrative being circulated by some in pro-#Israeli/pro-#Zionist circles that #Saudi must normalize with #Israel. That it’s the right thing to do and it is the only way #Saudi can survive/thrive …
That #Israel is the solution for everything and normalizing with it is the only way for #Saudi to be able to navigate the current geopolitical challenges it faces.
This couldn’t be farther from the truth …
Saudi Arabia has nothing to gain, ultimately, from such a step except ending the plight of #Palestinians. Being the crown jewel of the #Arab/#Islamic world means it deserves a mighty price in exchange for normalization …
Anything less than a independent #Palestinian State would be selling its self short and is a price well below its worth. The price has to hurt #Israel as much as it will ultimately hurt #Saudi.
The reality is that #Israel is not the solution to anything. It’s not the arbiter of good & does not hold the key to legitimacy or power. It’s value is directly linked to the Palestinian plight & how it chooses to resolve it. That’s the simple truth, regardless of how it’s spun.
