In an exclusive interview with the Israeli newspaper Hertz, the American-born Israeli billionaire Haim Saban claimed that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has refused to recognize Israel like the UAE and Bahrain.
Saban says Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman fears that if Saudi Arabia recognizes Israel, then not only Qatar and Iran, but the Saudi people will have a chance to assassinate him.
Saban said Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was opposed to recognizing Israel and wanted the implementation of the 2002 Arab-Israeli peace plan in the Saudi capital, Riyadh.
Since the influence of religious circles is very high among the Saudi people, recognizing Israel could jeopardize the role of the administration in the Holy Shrines and Saudi Arabia’s reputation in the Islamic world.
According to the Israeli newspaper, the Saudi monarch also said that Turkey and Iran would have a chance to dispute Saudi Arabia’s monopoly on the Holy Shrines.
It should be noted that the number of Arab states recognizing Israel has risen to four, including Egypt, Jordan, the UAE, and Bahrain.
