Saudi Official Denounces the Palestinian Cause

As we suspected and as we predicted on this blog the thaw between Israel and its Arab neighbors is proceeding apace. Recently, a leading Saudi Arabian political figure excoriated the Palestinians and urged them to make peace with Israel. Surely, the Saudis are preparing the ground for their own recognition of Israel.

The Financial Times reported the Saudi response to Palestinian criticism of the UAE. Palestinians denounced the Emirates for having betrayed the Palestinian cause. 

As noted on this blog, the UAE action would not have taken place without the acquiescence of Riyadh.

The Financial Times story:

Prince Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz, a former ambassador to the US and Saudi intelligence chief, said the Palestinian criticism was a “transgression” that was “reprehensible” and “entirely unacceptable”. “This low level of discourse is not what we expect from officials who seek to gain global support for their cause,” he said.

It is highly unlikely Prince Bandar would have made the comments on Saudi-owned Al Arabiya television without being sanctioned by the royal court, and they signal a hardening of Riyadh’s position towards Palestinian leaders. They also add to speculation about whether Saudi Arabia could at some point consider recognising Israel.

“This is a policy by the Saudi government to lay the ground for further normalisation with Israel because they are blaming the Palestinian leadership directly and creating the diplomatic space for them to begin their own process,” said Michael Stephens, an associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, a think-tank.

Hot Air also has the story. One might ask whether the story has appeared in the New York Times or other mainstream American media. Obviously, it has not:

After Palestinian leadership blasted Arab nations for normalizing relations with Israel, a leading figure in the Riyadh regime blasted them right back in an interview with Saudi state television outlet al-Arabiya. The Palestinian criticisms were “reprehensible discourse,” said Prince Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz, part of a 75-year-long track record of Palestinian “failures”:

In an interview with Saudi-owned Al Arabiya television aired on Monday, the prince labeled the Palestinian authorities’ criticism a “transgression” and “reprehensible discourse.”

“The Palestinian cause is a just cause but its advocates are failures, and the Israeli cause is unjust but its advocates have proven to be successful. That sums up the events of the last 70 or 75 years,” he said in the first of a three-part airing of the interview.

“There is something that successive Palestinian leadership historically share in common: they always bet on the losing side, and that comes at a price.”

Got that-- the Palestinians have always been on the losing side. They are so consumed with hatred that they have compromised their own interests.

The story continues:

The moves toward normalization from UAE and Bahrain wouldn’t have happened without Saudi support, or at least acquiescence, and everyone knows it. The Saudis want to remain quiet about this new effort to engage Israel both for domestic reasons (so as not to stoke a even-more-radical-Islamist backlash against the Wahhabi regime) and to give Palestinians a last bit of leverage to cut a deal.

Beyond the Palestinian reaction, the Islamist government of Turkey has recently weighed in-- declaring itself to be the rightful possessor of Jerusalem:

Unfortunately, the current Palestinian leadership responded by insults and appealing for succor from Iran and Turkey, which is what Bandar meant by the “losing side.” That’s not all he meant, though; in the video below, Bandar slams Palestinians for partnering with Hitler and Saddam Hussein, whose missile attacks on Riyadh are clearly not forgotten, nor are the Palestinian celebrations of those attacks. With that track record, the Palestinians should rethink their entire worldview and their approach, Bandar advised, adding, “This low level of discourse is not what we expect from officials who seek to gain global support for their cause.” Translation: Grow up and smell the coffee, Palestinians.

Hot Air continues:

Nominally, the Saudis still back the Arab Peace Plan, which is much more favorable to the Palestinians than the Trump administration’s new peace plan. In reality, the Saudis and other Arab nations couldn’t care less about the contours of a two-state plan. They just want it resolved so that they can focus on the real threats to their power in Tehran, Damascus, and now Ankara. If the Palestinians ever want to get their own state and end this conflict, they’d better settle for a universally recognized Israel being part of their long-term reality. The sooner they figure that out, the better off they’ll be. The clock is ticking, clearly.

And, in conclusion:

One more thought about this lengthy interview on Saudi state television — who’s the audience? It’s not the Israelis, and it’s not even really the Palestinians. The royal family is informing the Saudi populace about the long history of Palestinian deception and betrayals to prepare their subjects for something. Will the Saudis normalize relations with Israel in the next couple of weeks? If I were in Palestinian leadership, I’d be afraid … very afraid at what’s coming next.