RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has told US lawmakers about the possibility of an assassination attempt on him for his role in normalizing ties with Israel.
According to a report by Politico, the Saudi leader told visiting US Congressmen that he is putting his life in danger by pursuing a grand bargain with the US and Israel that includes normalizing Saudi-Israeli ties.
MBS has discussed the threats he faces to explain why he must ensure that any deal includes a clear and irreversible path to a future Palestinian state, according to Politico, citing a former US official familiar with the discussions.
In one such meeting, he invoked former Egyptian leader Anwar Sadar who was assassinated in 1981 by Egyptian fundamentalists after striking a peace deal with Israel. The Prince warned that similar risks may surround him due to his efforts in pursuing peace in the region.
Politico, citing familiar sources said, “The way he put it was, ‘Saudis care very deeply about this, and the street throughout the Middle East cares deeply about this, and my tenure as the keeper of the holy sites of Islam will not be secure if I don’t address what is the most pressing issue of justice in our region.”
It is unclear how recent this talk of assassinations is, given that the window for an Israel-Saudi normalization deal has all but shut in recent months, according to congressional sources.
Earlier this year, in February, Saudi Arabia conveyed to the U.S. that it would not normalize diplomatic ties with Israel until the establishment of an independent Palestinian state within the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
In January, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan also reiterated that Saudi Arabia could recognize Israel if a solution to the Palestinian issue is achieved.
