Saudi Crown Prince Defends Palestinian ‘Legitimate Rights’ After Jihadi Carnage in Israel

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attends the Future Investment Initiative (FII) conf
FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP/Getty
Frances Martel

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman expressed his “commitment to supporting the Palestinian people’s legitimate rights” in separate conversations with Arab leaders on Tuesday, including Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas – abstaining from directly condemning the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas for gruesome wave mass killings against Israeli civilians.

Hamas launched an unprecedented attack inside Israel on Saturday, targeting civilians in door-to-door attacks in which they tortured, raped, killed, and desecrated the corpses of their victims. Reports on Tuesday indicate that Israeli authorities have found the bodies of infants murdered by jihadist killers, 40 reportedly in one kibbutz alone.

As of Tuesday, Israeli authorities have confirmed that Hamas terrorists have killed over 1,000 people in the past four days. As Israel is slowly regaining access to affected communities, the death toll, particularly of civilians killed in their homes, continues to consistently increase. Hamas is also believed to be holding over 100 people hostage following the assault.

The Palestinian terror attack happened on the Jewish holiday of Shemini Atzeret, the final day of the annual High Holy Day cycle.

RELATED: Video Shows Hamas Rockets, Paragliders, Terrorists Streaming into Israel

Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades via Storyful

On Saturday, following the initial onslaught by Hamas, the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement failing to condemn Hamas or express any sympathy to Israel for the slaughter of its civlians. The statement blamed the “Israeli occupation forces” for escalating the situation and demanded the creation of a Palestinian state.

“The Kingdom calls for an immediate halt to the escalation between the two sides, the protection of civilians, and restraint,” the statement read in part. “The Kingdom recalls its repeated warnings of the dangers of the explosion of the situation as a result of the continued occupation … renews the call of the international community to assume its responsibilities and activate a credible peace process that leads to the two-state solution.”

On Tuesday, the Saudi government and its Saudi Press Agency (SPA) shared details of calls that the crown prince made to several Arab leaders in the region, also devoid of statements condemning Hamas.

In talks with Abbas, the Palestinian Authority leader, Mohammed bin Salman reportedly “expressed deep concern over the worsening conditions in Gaza” – presumably a response to Israel announcing a military operation to respond to Hamas’s terrorism – and “reiterated the Kingdom’s unwavering commitment to supporting the Palestinian people in their pursuit of legitimate rights,” according to the Saudi news organization al-Arabiya.

In a separate conversation with Egyptian strongman Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the crown prince similarly expressed “commitment to supporting the Palestinian people’s legitimate rights, hopes, and aspirations.”

Sisi independently called for a “ceasefire” in the region on Tuesday.

“We are communicating with all international and regional parties in order to reach an immediate cessation of violence and achieve de-escalation,” the Egyptian leader said in a statement.

The statements out of Saudi Arabia differ significantly from the pronouncements of its neighbors and allies, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain. Both Gulf nations signed agreements in 2020 known as the Abraham Accords, which led to the establishment of peaceful ties and increased economic activity between their capitals and Israel.

Abu Dhabi issued the most forceful statement against the Hamas terrorists. Its Foreign Ministry “stressed that attacks by Hamas against Israeli towns and villages near the Gaza strip, including the firing of thousands of rockets at population centers, are a serious and grave escalation.” The UAE also encouraged the world not to follow Hamas into “nihilistic destruction.”

“The Ministry is appalled by reports that Israeli civilians have been abducted as hostages from their homes,” the Emirati government asserted. “Civilians on both sides must always have full protection under international humanitarian law and must never be a target of conflict.”

putin bin salman

File/Russia’s President Vladimir Putin (R) and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attend the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Buenos Aires, on November 30, 2018. ( LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP/Getty Images)

Bahrain’s Foreign Ministry published a statement on Monday similarly calling the Hamas attacks a “dangerous escalation” and condemned “reports of the kidnapping of civilians from their homes as hostages.”
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs called for the international community to intervene and fulfill its responsibilities to stop the fighting and provide full protection for civilians who should not be the target of conflict,” Manama asserted, “under international humanitarian law, and to advance efforts to achieve peace, stability and security for all the peoples of the region.”
While not a signatory of the Abraham Accords, agreed to under the administration of former President Donald Trump, Saudi Arabia had quietly begun improving relations with Israel and the greater global Jewish community.
Last week, Riyadh allowed an Israeli delegation to participate in formal Jewish prayers in the Saudi capital on the occasion of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot. Shortly before the prayers, unprecedented in modern Saudi history, the country had welcomed Israeli Tourism Minister Haim Katz as the first Israeli government minister to ever visit.

Reports in early October indicated that Riyadh and Jerusalem were attempting to develop a peace agreement, but the administration of leftist President Joe Biden had obstructed the talks with unsolicited demands for Israel to offer concessions to Palestinian leaders.

Follow Frances Martel on Facebook and Twitter.

COMMENTS

Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.