VETERAN SAUDI DIPLOMAT BLASTS OBAMA/BIDEN, PALESTINIAN ‘FAILURES’ Al Arabiya television channel October 5, 2020

 

VETERAN SAUDI DIPLOMAT BLASTS OBAMA/BIDEN, PALESTINIAN ‘FAILURES’

Al Arabiya television channel October 5, 2020 

Prince Bandar is one of Saudi Arabia’s top diplomats and security experts. He served as ambassador to the United States from 1983 to 2005 ; directed the Saudi national Intelligence Agency from 2012 to 2014; and headed  Saudi Arabia’s National Security Council from 2005 to 2015.

During his many decades in Washington Prince Bandar formed close relationships with top American politicians of both political parties[ including  senators, representatives, successive American presidents], with nearly every major US analyst and academic involved with Middle East policy, and with the top officials of many Jewish agencies.

Bandar has repeatedly stated that US President Barack Obama knowingly and intentionally made a bad deal  to get the Iran nuclear deal. A public opinion poll conducted in 2015 in Saudi Arabia overwhelmingly concluded that the Saudi public was far more concerned about the threats of Iran and the Islamic State group than Israel.

Bander also blasted Palestinian leadership for ‘unacceptable’ comments on Middle East peace.

In an interview with the Al Arabiya television channel,  Bandar  called out the Palestinian leadership for its historical and ongoing “failures,” including its criticism of Gulf states following the signing of the historic Abraham Accords at the White House last month when the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain established diplomatic relations with Israel. He compared the Palestinian leadership to Israel and concluded that while Israeli leaders are successful, the Palestinian leadership has failed its people miserably.

“What  I heard from Palestinian leadership in recent days was truly painful to hear. This low level of discourse is not what we expect from officials who seek to gain global support for their cause,” Bandar said in the Al Arabiya interview that is scheduled to air in full on October 5. “Their transgression against the Gulf states’ leadership with this reprehensible discourse is unacceptable.”