Watan-Saudi Crown Prince, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, made new statements regarding the events in Gaza during his participation in the “BRICS Summit.” In these statements, he called for a halt to the export of weapons to Israel and rejected the forced displacement of Palestinians from the besieged Palestinian territory.
Amidst sharp criticism directed at the kingdom for its repressive policies against those supporting the Palestinian cause, Mohammed bin Salman released more assertive remarks than before, over 47 days after the Israeli war on Gaza.
During his speech at the virtual “BRICS Summit,” which discussed the deterioration of the situation in Gaza, Mohammed bin Salman emphasized the importance of providing humanitarian corridors to the territory. He also called for the initiation of a serious and comprehensive peace process to resolve the Palestinian issue, including the establishment of a Palestinian state along the 1967 borders.
Statements by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Regarding Gaza
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman also called for collective efforts to halt the deterioration of humanitarian conditions in Gaza. He reiterated his country’s rejection of the forced displacement of Palestinians from the region. He emphasized that the crimes affecting civilians and infrastructure in Gaza require a collective effort to stop this humanitarian catastrophe.
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince unequivocally expressed Riyadh’s rejection of Israeli operations in the Gaza Strip. These statements come amid the ongoing Saudi normalization project, as confirmed by Saudi officials in recent official statements.
Notably, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has neither halted nor postponed the so-called “Riyadh Season,” which includes celebratory events featuring dance and music, despite the ongoing bloodshed in the besieged Palestinian territory.
In addition to this, the head of the Saudi Entertainment Authority, Turki Al Al-Sheikh, was seen promoting products supportive of the occupation, such as McDonald’s, and even acting as a sales representative for them. This move has provoked millions of Arabs sympathetic to Gaza.
New Saudi Letter
Despite all of that, Mohammed bin Salman spoke about his country’s concerted efforts to help and protect civilians in the Gaza Strip. Saudi Arabia has provided humanitarian and relief aid by sea and air, and launched popular donation campaigns amounting to half a billion riyals.
Analysts believe that bin Salman was compelled to adopt this new discourse towards Palestine as Riyadh came to realize that the approach it was taking would lead to the marginalization of Palestinians. This approach also risked provoking the anger of Arabs across the region and internal discontent.
Public criticism has escalated both domestically and internationally against regimes normalizing ties with the entity, particularly following the “Operation Flood of Al-Aqsa,” which revived hope among Arab peoples for the liberation of Al-Aqsa and Palestine. It made them wake up from the effects of the numbness induced by normalization agreements, as described by some.