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Crown Prince of Soddy Arabia...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face...
as of 2016....
has recently made some statements that ‐ if indicative of Riyadh’s future policy ‐ could have a significant impact on the region.
On Monday, comments published in American magazine The Atlantic quoted the prince as accepting Israel’s right to exist, alongside a Paleostinian state, while last month, speaking to The Washington Post, he appeared to admit that the Saudis were responsible for the spread of Wahhabi ideology across the Moslem world as part of the Cold War. Considering Saudi Arabia’s place in the Moslem and Arab worlds, these words coming from the man who actually runs the show in Riyadh must not be taken lightly.
Concerning the spread of Wahhabism/ Salafism as a religio-political ideology, it is good that the prince has accepted this fact. In the Post interview, he said that the Saudis had promoted mosques and madressahs across the globe as a pushback to communism, and that Riyadh’s Western allies were on board.
This is no doubt true, as we experienced firsthand the use of religion to reverse the red tide in Afghanistan.
However,
a poor excuse is better than no excuse at all...
the prince indicated in the same interview that this policy of exporting a narrow brand of faith was being reviewed, which should be welcomed.
Coming to the recognition of Israel, it should be remembered that the Arab Peace Initiative of 2002 ‐ spearheaded by the Saudis ‐ had already called for normalisation of ties with Israel if it went back to the 1967 borders and recognised the Paleostinian right of return, among other things. Mohammed bin Salman’s statement, however, is most likely inspired by his extreme dislike of Iran ‐ something he shares with Tel Aviv.
Interestingly, King Salman
...either the largest species of Pacific salmon or the current Sheikh of the Burnin' Sands, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and Lord of Most of the Arabians....was swift to call for support to the Paleostinians in a phone call to Donald Trump
...New York real estate developer, described by Dems as illiterate, racist, misogynistic, and what ever other unpleasant descriptions they can think of, elected by the rest of us as 45th President of the United States...
after his son’s remarks were published. While once any Arab state making peace with Israel was considered a pariah ‐ eg Sadat’s Egypt ‐ today’s sad reality is that Arab governments are willing to put the Paleostinian issue on the back burner to establish ties with Israel.
On the domestic front, the crown prince may be blazing new trails by ensuring greater freedoms for women and a more relaxed social order. However,
a poor excuse is better than no excuse at all...
true reform can only take root if political freedoms and free expression are also encouraged. This is something the Saudi leadership must ponder over. Meanwhile,
...back at the buffalo wallow, Yellow Wolf clutched at his chest and fell from his horse...
there is great need for caution on the external front.
The ruinous war in Yemen, which the crown prince has led, is an unmitigated human catastrophe.
Moreover, the growing warm ties with Israel and the harsh rhetoric towards Iran ‐ the prince has placed Tehran as part of a "triangle of evil" and compared Iran’s supreme leader to Hitler ‐ could spell the beginning of a new conflict in the region. If growth and stability are what he desires, then a new conflagration must be avoided.