Senior Saudi royal, Prince Turki al-Faisal, urged the US and the UK to apply more pressure on Israel to cease its conflict in Gaza. He specifically called for Washington to cut financial and military support to Israel, emphasizing the need to revoke tax exemptions for pro-Israel groups in the US.
Expressing doubt about America’s willingness to take action, Prince Turki emphasized the importance of denying weapons and intelligence support to Israel. On the UK’s role, he welcomed the restrictions on weapon sales to Israel and urged recognition of the state of Palestine.
The prince reiterated Saudi Arabia’s stance on normalizing ties with Israel only after a Palestinian state is established based on the 1967 borders. He dismissed the idea that Hamas orchestrated attacks to derail Saudi-Israel relations, highlighting the urgency for Palestinians to influence Hamas towards peaceful choices.
Addressing concerns about Palestine solidarity crackdowns in Saudi Arabia, Prince Turki downplayed restrictions on free speech, emphasizing strong support for Palestine in local media. He discussed Saudi-Iran relations and expressed worries about Iran’s nuclear program and Houthi attacks on international shipping.