Prince Turki Al Faisal Equates Hamas and Israel and Criticizes Qatar in a Television Interview

In statements that sparked widespread controversy, Prince Turki Al Faisal, the former director of Saudi intelligence, condemned both Hamas and Israel for the ongoing situation in Gaza. His remarks align with the policies of the de facto ruler of the Kingdom, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who had been leading a project to normalize relations with Israel, a project that was disrupted by the “Al-Aqsa Storm.”

Prince Turki Al Faisal’s statements, in which he also criticized Qatar for hosting a spokesperson for Hamas, came during a television interview two days ago. This was on the sidelines of a seminar at the “Baker Institute” for Public Policy, marking the half-century anniversary of the oil embargo.

During the interview, the anchor asked: “Do you find it concerning that Qatar is currently hosting a spokesperson for Hamas?” Prince Turki Al Faisal responded: “I believe the concern is not limited to Qatar alone. It’s a concern related to anyone who speaks on behalf of Hamas and individuals who can support such an organization. I addressed this in my talk today.”

When further asked by the anchor if this situation is similar to Saudi Arabia hosting Osama bin Laden after the events of September 11, the former director of Saudi intelligence replied, “Yes, as you said, I find this concerning. Hamas’s actions against the Palestinian people are well-documented, as is the way they dealt with the Palestinian Authority when they took over Gaza in 2006.” He added, “So, as I mentioned earlier, I am not a friend of Hamas, and I believe anyone who supports them should be held accountable.”

During his speech at the Baker Institute, Prince Turki Al Faisal also condemned “Israel’s transfer of Qatari money to Hamas, even though it labels it a terrorist organization.”

Some of Prince Turki Al Faisal’s statements at the Baker Research Institute included:

• “I condemn Hamas for giving the terrible Netanyahu government an excuse to destroy Gaza.”
• “I condemn Hamas for sabotaging Saudi Arabia’s attempt to reach a peaceful solution and undermining the Palestinian Authority.”
• “I do not support the military option in Palestine and prefer civil disobedience.”

Saudi Arabia’s position, as reiterated by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is that targeting civilians in Gaza is a heinous crime and a brutal assault. This stance comes in conjunction with Western reports confirming that the “Al-Aqsa Storm” operation destroyed the Saudi-Israeli normalization project, which was on the verge of being publicly announced after years of secret work.

The French news agency reported a few days ago that the surprise attack launched by Hamas against Israel refocused attention on the Palestinian issue and dealt a blow to Washington’s momentum in brokering a normalization agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia.

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