Saudi Crown Prince has changed his royal tune, finally admits Israel committing genocide in Gaza.
a furious public and a warming alliance with Iran pushes MBS to take a stand on Israel’s brutal campaign in Gaza.
Good day, spectators,
As I often mention, the wheel of time does not turn quickly, but it does turn. Times change, opinions shift, and alliances are made and broken as regularly as leaves fall from the trees. And that’s the subject of today’s post.
Middle Eastern monarchs like Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) and Jordan’s King Abdullah have mastered the art of sitting on the fence. It’s a delicate balancing act, staying on the right side of public opinion while preserving their income from Western powers. But as anti-Israel sentiment among their populations reaches new heights, even these savvy rulers are starting to feel the pressure. With images of devastation in Gaza and Lebanon saturating screens across the Arab world, their stance can no longer remain ambiguous or distant.
Bin Salman’s recent condemnation of Israel’s actions as “genocide” isn’t a sudden turn of conscience but a carefully calculated nod to the public’s growing fury. The Saudi Crown Prince has long shown indifference to Palestinian struggles, and if his past words are anything to go by, his statements now reflect the force of public outrage rather than any deep-seated empathy for the Palestinian cause. In a region where monarchs guard their power with a grip that would make even Smaug jealous, the people’s breath on their necks has become a chilling reminder of the stakes they face.
between a rock and a very furious public
For leaders like MBS, staying in power has always meant managing the balance between public sentiment and Western alliances. Until recently, MBS could largely ignore Palestine without facing more than a few protests. But with anti-Israel sentiment at an all-time high, the Crown Prince is now forced to address the situation—not out of newfound empathy (he remains a cold, calculated businessman) but because the outrage is now impossible to dodge.
His stance on Palestine has long been ambiguous at best. Earlier in 2024, he reportedly told U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken that he “does not personally care” about the Palestinian issue, though he acknowledged its importance to the Saudi populace. This admission highlights just how far his recent condemnation of Israel’s actions is from any genuine commitment to Palestinian rights; instead, it’s a calculated response to a public that has grown increasingly vocal.
At the Arab League summit, MBS’s condemnation of Israel’s actions as “genocide” was a carefully staged statement on a very public platform. With Netanyahu’s bloody campaigns making daily headlines, silence was no longer an option—especially with Iran, Saudi’s historical rival, gaining credibility as a vocal critic of Israel. Recent signs of warming relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran suggest that MBS may see strategic value in aligning with regional sentiment, especially if it strengthens ties that could ultimately benefit Palestine. Between the Saudi public’s anger and Iran’s bold stance, the Crown Prince is walking a tightrope. And while it’s far from a promise of everlasting solidarity, it’s one of those rare moments where public pressure may actually force a leader’s hand.
the wheel of time turns a little more
This condemnation of Israel is not the beginning of Saudi Arabia’s moral awakening, nor is it the start of an eternal friendship with Palestine. But it does reveal something essential about the power of public pressure in the Gulf.
The West’s role in checking Israel’s actions has grown redundant, and the hope of serious intervention to stop Netanyahu’s campaign has all but vanished. This may force the Middle East to look inward, as figures like MBS find themselves accountable to their own people rather than simply sucking up to Western powers. The convergence of public sentiment and warming ties with Iran offers a rare chance for regional leaders to assert influence and, perhaps, offer Palestine a measure of support it has long been denied.
Ultimately, while the Saudi Crown Prince’s stance doesn’t come from the kindness of his heart, the fact that he’s bending to public demand suggests that the Gulf’s political landscape is shifting. And in a region defined by its monarchies, that shift could be more powerful than any Western declaration.
And on that note, I’ll leave you. Thanks for reading, as always,
(Thanks for reading as always, please give this post a ❤️ and restack below to help bring this news to more people.)
It's time the people in countries like Saudi Arabia, Jordan, UAE, etc place enormous pressure on their rulers to do the right thing and actively support the Palestinian cause, instead of maintaining their friendly stance towards the US and Israel solely for their financial benefits.
The Arab nations should put in place immediate sanctions and cease all oil supplies to all supporting countries of Israel and to Israel itself until Israel ceases every genocidal act, and is demilitarised and a peaceful one state solution is established