Al-Qalam 
[Photo credit: Reuters]
The Saudi monarchy under the leadership of unelected “crown prince” Mohammed bin Salman (MbS), has always been suspected of maintaining close ties with the colonial occupier of Palestine, writes Iqbal Jassat.
Despite attempts to conceal this in the past, Saudi subterfuge hasn’t been very successful, perhaps by choice.
The latest revelation reported in Israeli media i24NEWS, which cites comments made by the monarchy’s foreign minister Abdel al-Jubeir in favour of “normalisation”, is therefore not surprising.
It claims that at a recent meeting with senior American Jewish leaders, al-Jubeir “guaranteed that Israeli-Saudi normalisation will happen eventually…”. No ifs or buts!
This follows a meeting between US officials and MbS in Riyadh, facilitated by the Washington Institute. The shocking but hardly surprising aspect of conditions or demands made by MbS in order to “normalise”, had nothing to do with Palestine.
According to the report, MbS listed three main demands that the US must meet as preconditions for Saudi Arabia to join the Abraham Accords and normalise ties with Israel.
These are far-removed from any concerns regarding Palestine, and instead are entirely linked to Saudi/US policies. In other words, MbS finds it expedient to extract concessions from the US for Saudi Arabia – not for Palestine.
Using Palestine as a mere pawn, MbS seeks an affirmation of the US-Saudi alliance, weapons supplies to the kingdom and allowing Riyadh to have a restricted civil nuclear programme.
Strangely the proposed deal comes at a time when relations are believed to be strained between Washington and Riyadh. And Biden has had to eat humble pie during his controversial visit to the kingdom after having pledged to punish MbS for the murder of Jamal Khashoggi.
Recall the time the US released a 2018 intelligence report that concluded the murder of Khashoggi was on behalf of and approved by MbS?
Now in outright capitulation, the Biden administration has succumbed to MbS demands – unrelated to “normalisation blackmail” – but by granting him immunity for the murder of Khashoggi.
MbS has secured an “innocent verdict” by having a lawsuit against him dismissed in a US court.
Quite bizarre for it reflects that the American judiciary is inclined to make a politically influenced ruling in line with the wishes of the incumbent President.
That the judgement appears to be inconsistent is borne out by the fact that immunity was granted despite credible allegations that MbS was involved in the gruesome murder.
So while al-Jubeir publicly “guaranteed” that normalisation with Israel will happen, followed by MbS listing his demands, out pops a US judge to reward the crown prince with sovereign immunity.
It suggests that a backdoor deal had been struck by Washington to retain Riyadh within the US/Israel axis.
For Saudi Arabia’s monarchy, MbS has dribbled hard to reposition it as an ally of America, willing to normalise with the Zionist apartheid entity at the expense of the wider Muslim community’s concerns about Masjid Al-Aqsa, Al-Quds (Jerusalem) and the horrendous persecution of Palestinians.
*Iqbal Jassat is an Executive Member of the Media Review Network, Johannesburg.
