Former Saudi intelligence chief Prince Turki al-Faisal during his interview with Christiane Amanpour, rejecting any normalisation with Israel under PM Netanyahu.
Saudi Arabia’s former intelligence chief, Prince Turki al-Faisal, has firmly rejected any possibility of normalisation with Israel as long as Benjamin Netanyahu remains prime minister, calling him a “war criminal” and a “genocidal maniac.” In an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour on August 15, he stated, “The Kingdom cannot engage with a leader who promotes expansionist ambitions while disregarding peace efforts,” emphasizing Saudi Arabia’s unwillingness to engage with Netanyahu’s leadership.
Al-Faisal referred to the Arab Peace Initiative and the Saudi-French proposal for Gaza, highlighting that effective solutions already exist for achieving long-term stability, governance under the Palestinian Authority, and civilian reconstruction. “We don’t need to reinvent the wheel,” he said, emphasizing that genuine peace must be based on internationally recognised frameworks and established peace efforts.
He strongly criticised Netanyahu’s vision of a “Greater Israel,” condemning maps that extend from the Nile to the Euphrates and questioning, “Is he proposing to occupy Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Palestine and Egypt?” Netanyahu’s expansionist rhetoric and claim of being on a “spiritual mission” have drawn widespread condemnation across the Arab world. Saudi Arabia maintains its position clearly: no normalisation will occur without a two-state solution based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine. Meanwhile, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues, with over 61,897 Palestinians reported killed since October 2023.
