The ‘free and uncalled for’ advice of Muhammad Bin Salman (MBS), Saudi Crown Prince, to the Palestinian leadership to accept what the US offers is gross. His comments that “in the last several decades the Palestinian leadership has missed one opportunity after the other and rejected peace proposals it was given” shows his grip on the historic betrayal of Palestinians by the world community. Saudi Arabia has never been an active advocate of Palestinian’s right of return to their lands, however, the comments made by MBS shows that even the veneer of support for Palestine is fading away within the official narrative of Riyadh. The crown prince forgets that Palestinians have been offered ‘peace proposals’, but they are always denied a ‘just peace’.
Contrary to what MBS thinks, the reality is that the peace brokers, US the central player in most of such deals, have always betrayed Palestinians. In fact, Palestinians had no choice but to accept one betrayal after another. Whether it was the partition plan of 1948 or it was the 1967 war or Oslo accords, on all occasions Palestinians were stripped off their rights. It was only after these continued betrayals that Palestinian leadership scepticism of deals of all kinds deepened. MBS dares to hold Palestinian leadership for the most degrading conditions of Palestinians, but not Israel, not the United States for constant humiliations of Palestinians.
Extreme realist approach has determined Saudi Arabia’s soft, or to put it bluntly, friendly attitude towards Israel no matter what calamities they unleash on people of Gaza or West Bank. Both countries’ joint opposition of Iran and mutual partnership with the US tie them together thus the plight of Palestinian people is conveniently ignored.
It is important to note that the Saudi crown prince made such remarks only after Trump’s controversial move recognising Jerusalem the capital of Israel last December. His remarks –which the king had to scramble to mitigate– suggest that Saudi Arabia’s purported leadership of the Arab world will not include in its future course of action the protection of Palestine, the most grievous wound of the Arab world. The crown prince who is already facing a lot of criticism for his military adventurism against one of the poorest countries in the world will be subject to more criticism after his ignorant remarks. Not only ordinary people. Some of whom see him a reformer, will perceive him negatively but other Muslim states will also see him with contempt for betraying the cause of Palestine and ignoring Israel’s long history of injustices done to the Palestinian people.
