The statement by Prince Turki al-Faisal is widely regarded as the clearest indicator of Saudi leadership’s thinking. The ex-diplomat and spy chief of Saudi Arabia is extremely astute insofar as his articulation on various regional and global issues is concerned.

The position that he has taken on the current Middle East situation is nothing but a strong reflection of how the House of al-Saud has been looking at the pre- and post-October 7 events in Israel, occupied West Bank and Gaza.

Acting prudently, it has put the matter of Israel-Saudi Arabia normalization on hold. He has condemned the October 7 Hamas attacks in Israel and Israeli bombardment on Gaza in the same breath. His condemnation is in response to the killings of civilians in Israel and Gaza by Hamas and Israeli armed forces, respectively.

US President Joe Biden, who has put his administration’s full weight behind Israel, too, has condemned civilian killings ‘anywhere’ in an ambivalent manner.

According to Prince al-Turki, Hamas’ attacks that claimed lives of civilians were against Islamic injunctions. He has flayed Western media for frequently using phrase “unprovoked attacks” on Israel by Hamas, raising a question whether or not whatever Israel has been doing to the Palestinians for the last three quarters of a century doesn’t constitute provocation? In other words, Saudi Arabia has decided against taking sides in the ongoing bloody conflict.

How ironic it is that neither Iran, the principal supporter of Hamas, nor its Lebanon-based proxy Hezbollah has taken any concrete step to ease the suffering or plight of the besieged Palestinians so far.

The warnings issued by Iran have miserably failed to deter a belligerent Israel. Tehran must walk the talk; it needs to go beyond issuing warnings and exhortations.

Riffat Husain Syed (Islamabad)

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023