- [Chris] The positive signalis this landmark interview
carried on the Arab newschannel, Al Arabiya.
Saudi Arabia's formerambassador to the US,
Prince Bandar bin Sultan,condemning Palestinian reaction
to the treaty known asthe Abraham Accords.
(speaking in foreign language)
- [Interpreter] I haveheard shocking statements
quoted from the Palestinian leadership.
At first, I refused tobelieve what I heard,
then, a day or two later, Isaw it with my own eyes on TV.
Palestinian AuthorityPresident Mahmoud Abbas
accused the Gulf statesof betraying his people,
and chief negotiator SaebErekat called the treaty
a poisoned stab in the back.
(speaking in foreign language)
- [Interpreter] Their transgression
against the Gulf states' leadership
with this reprehensiblediscourse is unacceptable.
- [Chris] Prince Bandar then listed
the Palestinian betrayals ofSaudi Arabia and Gulf states,
specifically Yasser Arafat's support
of Iraq's Saddam Husseinafter he attacked Kuwait
in the 1991 Gulf War.
- The interview by PrinceBandar with Al Arabiya
was a breakthrough.
It was a ground-shaking interview
because what you have is a former,
very senior Saudi official,
not current, but very well respected.
And he blasted, in no uncertain terms,
the current leadership ofthe Palestinian Authority,
and particularly, Mahmoud Abbas.
- [Chris] UAE politicalanalyst, Dr. Najat AlSaeed,
says that also showsSaudi Arabia's frustration
with Palestinian leaders.
- What I'm sure about,
what has been applied forthem for the past years
would never be applied nowbecause, basically, it failed,
and the show and the rewardsof the Palestinian Authority
was an attack and wassiding with their enemy.
Before, it was people like Saddam Hussein,
and now with Turkey and Iran,
who are like a mainthreat to the Gulf region.
They are siding withthem against the Gulf.
- [Chris] Middle Eastexpert Joel Rosenberg
has led several evangelical delegations
to the Gulf states,including Saudi Arabia.
- I think that we are actually trending
towards a dramaticdevelopment of normalization,
a full peace treaty, betweenthe kingdom of Saudi Arabia
and the state of Israel.
I know that, for many,that seems premature
and it seems even far-fetched.
I think that itsabsolutely going to happen.
I think it's a matter of time.
- [Chris] AlSaeed says, asleader of the Muslim world
and home to Mecca, Saudi Arabiahas unique circumstances.
- It's not only a matter of a country
and it's people, like UAE and Bahrain.
It's more than that becauseof its weight in the region,
whether from the Arab perspective
and the Muslim perspective.
- [Chris] Saudi Arabia provided a key sign
when it gave the greenlight for Israeli aircraft
to fly through its airspace.
Rosenberg sees the AbrahamAccords as a turning point
for a country where 70% of the population
is under 35, with many looking for change.
- I think the main issue hereis not whether the royals
in Riyadh want to make peace with Israel.
The question is how long will it take
to continue to sort of warm up the culture
to think it through.
It's such a huge breakthrough,
and I think it's creating a conversation
that's going on inside the kingdom
that is gonna help lay the groundwork
for what will be the biggest development.
I mean, there's no peacetreaty that's bigger
than a Saudi-Israeli peacedeal, but I think it's coming.
- [Chris] Chris Mitchell,CBN News, Jerusalem.
