The Palestinian cause is very important to us, but we have to think of our own interests.

Analyse

The WSJ’s September 2020 report cited **three anonymous sources** present during MBS’s private remarks, where he framed Saudi-Israel normalization as a strategic necessity despite the Palestinian issue’s importance. While the Saudi government did not officially confirm the leak, the WSJ’s sourcing aligns with established patterns of MBS’s pragmatic foreign policy, including later public signals (e.g., 2023 interviews) that Saudi Arabia would not condition normalization *solely* on Palestinian statehood. No credible evidence has emerged to dispute the WSJ’s account.

Achtergrond

The statement occurred amid backchannel U.S.-brokered talks (Abraham Accords era) where Saudi Arabia faced pressure to join UAE/Bahrain in normalizing ties with Israel. MBS has since reiterated a **dual-track approach**: demanding concessions for Palestinians (e.g., statehood progress) while pursuing Saudi strategic gains (e.g., U.S. security guarantees, economic investments). The leak reflected internal debates over balancing ideological commitments with Realpolitik.

Samenvatting verdict

Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) did make a statement in 2020 prioritizing Saudi interests while acknowledging the Palestinian cause, as reported by *The Wall Street Journal* (WSJ) based on leaked remarks to senior Saudi officials.

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