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Disruption Top to Bottom: The Reappearance of Bandar bin Sultan

by Senior Analyst Talal Kapoor

In a three-part series on government-controlled al-Arabiya television, Bandar bin Sultan, the longtime former Saudi ambassador to the United States and former secretary general of the Saudi National Security Council, denounced the Palestinian leadership and its history of folly and blunder in scathing terms. "The Palestinian cause is a just cause but its advocates are failures," he said. Bandar, who as an 'elder statesman' speaks with the authority few can match, took pains to reaffirm the Saudi commitment to the Palestinian cause itself ("a single drop of Palestinian blood is more precious than the earth's treasures"), but was unsparing in his fiery denunciation of decades of missed opportunities and relentless incompetence. 'Enough', he seemed to say - each successive proposal and painstakingly negotiated peace plan had been short-circuited by warring factions and short-sighted political miscalculation, the proverbial defeat snatched from the jaws of victory. He spoke from experience, having been a first-hand witness to events ranging from the 1978 Camp David agreement to the crisis talks of 2007, when King Abdallah brokered an end to the deadly Fatah-Hamas violence, an opportunity which was squandered within days, he laments. Bandar was blunt - "we are at a stage in which, rather than being concerned with how to face the Israeli challenges in order to serve the Palestinian cause, we have to pay attention to our national security and interests."

Notably, Bandar spoke in Arabic, so his words would reach a wide regional audience and leave no misunderstanding. This was followed by extensive coverage in state media, to make it abundantly clear that this was no rogue interview or off-guard moment; Bandar's words undoubtedly had the approval of the crown prince, Muhammad bin Salman (MbS). Further, they come in the wake of similar sentiments expressed by Turki al-Faysal, another family elder who often speaks as an unofficial government spokesman, though he has done less of that lately as his influence has waned. Still, to have two such senior members of the royals come out to publicly distance the Kingdom from the Palestinian leadership, which is more used to being feted at the royal palace, is nothing short of seismic. The Saudis have been the largest benefactors and the most vocal supporters of that people's struggle, as well as (traditionally) the arch-foe of Israel (many of King Faysal's thoughts on the matter would likely be considered anti-Semitic today). King Salman, too, being more conservative in his views than the generation of his son the crown prince, has been a staunch ally of Palestine. In the past, whenever a prince might have gently suggested a more conciliatory approach with Israel, the king could be counted on to deliver a solemn message reaffirming the Kingdom's unwavering commitment, as if to drive home that his views were official policy, and those princes speaking out of line would be dealt with in due course. In fact, this has happened as recently as the spring of this year - after MbS hinted at a rapprochement with their long-time rival, Salman snuffed out any speculation. The Foreign Minister, Faysal bin Farhan, has also come to his aid, ruling out a normalization of ties with Israel until a comprehensive peace deal was agreed to by the Palestinians. More and more, however, the king's statements of "support" seem like empty gestures, expected, yet recited by rote. The fact that Turki al-Faysal has said much the same thing as MbS only recently, though in less flamboyant terms, lends weight to the view that Saudi is indeed softening its hardline views.

For a time, Bandar had disappeared from view almost completely, sparking much speculation. Was he out of favor with the 'establishment'? Was his health failing, assassinated? Or was he simply taking a much deserved break from a lifetime of service?

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