Saudi prince vehemently attacks Israel, describes it as a “western colonial power”

On Sunday, a former Saudi official attacked Israel at a regional conference in Manama, prompting the Israeli foreign minister to respond to him in a speech he delivered via video calls.

This comes months after the UAE and Bahrain signed two agreements to normalize relations with Israel, in a move the Palestinians described as a “backstabbing.”

In strong remarks, Prince Turki Al-Faisal, the former Saudi intelligence chief, said that Israel presents itself as “a small country facing an existential threat surrounded by bloodthirsty assassins who wish to eliminate it.”

He continued: “However, they do express their desire to befriend Saudi Arabia.”

Al-Faisal described Israel as a “Western colonial power”, speaking of Israeli measures, the forced displacement of Palestinians and the destruction of villages.

Al-Faisal added that the Israelis “tear down houses as they please and murder whoever they want.”

For his part, the Israeli Foreign Minister, Gabi Ashkenazi, who participated in the Manama Dialogue through visual communication technology, said that he feels “sorry” for the statements of the former Saudi official.

Ashkenazi later wrote in a tweet: “The false accusations by the Saudi representative at the Manama conference do not reflect the facts or the spirit of change the region is going through.”

“I rejected his statements and emphasized that the era of guilt is over.” We are at the dawn of a new era. The era of peace.

Prince Turki confirmed that his statements represent his personal opinion and expressed his doubts about the peace agreements signed by the Gulf states with Israel.

And he considered that “an open wound cannot be treated with painkillers.”