MBS Stance on Palestine Issue reportedly showed personal indifference during a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The meeting, held in January 2024 in the Saudi city of al-Ula, took place amid ongoing negotiations regarding the potential normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel.
During the discussion, MBS allegedly told Blinken that while he doesn’t personally care about the Palestinian issue, the younger generation of Saudi Arabia, who are encountering the conflict for the first time, does.
“Do I care personally about the Palestinian issue? I don’t, but my people do, so I need to make sure this is meaningful,” MBS was quoted as saying. This remark provides insight into the balancing act MBS faces, as he tries to align the kingdom’s stance on the Palestine issue with its growing ties to Israel.
The meeting occurred during a period of increasing speculation about a Saudi-Israeli normalization deal, which had gained momentum in US-led negotiations. However, the outbreak of war between Israel and Gaza on October 7 derailed those efforts. MBS reportedly expressed to Blinken his desire for calm in Gaza as a condition for any normalization deal.
Despite the private remarks, Saudi Arabia’s official stance remains unchanged. In a public address before the Shura Council, MBS reiterated that Saudi Arabia would not normalize relations with Israel without the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital. A Saudi official also denied the accuracy of MBS’s private comments reported by The Atlantic.
The report further suggested that Saudi Arabia seeks a mutual defense treaty with the United States as part of any normalization agreement, with MBS acknowledging the potential personal risks in pursuing such a deal. He referenced the assassination of Egypt’s President Anwar Sadat following his peace accord with Israel, stating that “half my advisers say that the deal is not worth the risk.”
As Saudi-Israel normalization talks continue, strong anti-Israel sentiment in Saudi Arabia persists, with polls indicating that over 90% of Saudis oppose ties with Israel. Despite these tensions, the Saudi government has maintained a firm stance against public displays of Palestinian solidarity, including the detention of individuals for social media posts or wearing Palestinian symbols.
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