2024-08-16 16:30:02
Saudi Arabia’s efforts to re-balance its troubled ties with Israel amid the ongoing war in Gaza may lead to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s assassination. During his ongoing negotiations with US lawmakers to normalise ties with Israel, Saudi Arabia‘s de facto ruler reportedly expressed fear of being assassinated for peace talks, according to the American website Politico.
The Saudi royal has reportedly told the US Congress lawmakers that he’s putting his life in danger by leading a grand bargain with the US and Israel, which also includes normalising Saudi-Israeli ties, Politico reported citing sources.
In one of his conversations with the US Congress lawmakers, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman even mentioned Anwar Sadat, the Egyptian leader who was killed after he sealed a peace deal with Israel. According to the report, he also asked what the US did to protect Sadat. He even discussed the threats he faces for finalising the deal and how he would explain the reason behind the move, which is likely to enrage Arab countries, which are already pitted against Israel due to the war in Gaza.
He also expressed fear of losing his supporters in his own nation as “Saudis care very deeply” about Israel’s war in Palestine.
“The way he put it was, ‘Saudis care very deeply about this, and the streets throughout the Middle East care 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,” Politico quoted a source aware with the matter.
According to the report, the Saudi Crown Prince is extremely worried about the repercussions of striking a mega-deal with the US and Israel because of the huge risks. The deal between Saudi Arabia and the US has been kept largely secret and is still developing. The pact may include multiple US commitments to the Saudis including security guarantees, aid for a civilian nuclear programme, and economic investment in key areas.
