Mohammed bin Salman faces assassination threat over Israel-Saudi normalisation

A report by US-based news outlet Politico has claimed that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) is at risk of assassination due to his efforts to normalise ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia.

The Saudi crown prince told members of US Congress that he was putting his life in danger as he pursued a grand bargain involving the US and Israel, the report said.

MBS while referring the slain Egyptian leader Anwar Sadat— who was assassinated in 1981 by Egyption extremist after making a peace deal with Israel — asked, “What did the US do to protect him?”

The Saudi crown prince made these remarks during a meeting with US officials, Politico quoted a former US official with two other people with knowledge of the conversation.

Despite at the risk, the prince is willing to pursue the the mega-deal with the US and Israel, which he sees as crucial for Saudi Arabia’s future.

“The way he put it was, ‘Saudis care very deeply about this, and the street throughout the Middle East cares deeply about this, and my tenure as the keeper of the holy sites of Islam will not be secure if I don’t address what is the most pressing issue of justice in our region,’” said one of the people with knowledge of conversations.

However, the report adds that the Israeli government has been unwilling to incorporate a credible path to a Palestinian state in the agreement.