Abu Dhabi is ‘Israel’s Trojan horse’, senior Saudi figure tells The David Hearst Podcast

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In an interview on the David Hearst Podcast, former Saudi Shura Council member Ahmed Altuwaijri described the United Arab Emirates as “the Trojan horse of Israeli ambitions”, saying that Abu Dhabi’s regional interventions have advanced Israel’s strategic objectives. He said: “With all respect to Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi is a small district of Riyadh. There’s no comparison.” “The extremists who are ruling Israel now are not worthy of any cooperation, and they could never be trusted, and they will never be able to coexist with the Palestinians.” “This genocide is a disgrace humanity will remember.” Addressing Saudi Arabia’s position, he said: “Peace requires justice in Palestine, an independent sovereign Palestinian state, and a just solution for the refugees. Saudi Arabia will not move one inch from this principled position.” He added that Israel poses a broader threat: “Israel is a threat to humanity, to Judaism, to Jews, to the region and to the Arab world.” Watch the full interview on The David Hearst Podcast. Chapters 00:00 - Introduction 04:09 - Are you an antisemite? 04:30 - “I am a semite.” 23:45 - UAE acting as “Israel’s Trojan horse” 33:23 - How far the Saudi–UAE split may go 35:51 - Jealousy and rivalry between Abu Dhabi and Riyadh 41:41 - After the Gaza genocide 43:15 - Extremists ruling Israel “cannot be trusted” 52:57 - Israel as a threat to humanity 56:14 - “Those whose hands are stained with blood” governing Gaza 59:21 - Will Saudi Arabia continue freezing relations with Hamas? 01:00:50 - Hamas “did not come from another planet” 01:07:34 - Prospects of a regional alliance 01:09:35 - Could Israel repeat similar actions elsewhere? 01:09:55 - Expansion of the Saudi–Pakistani alignment 01:22:12 - Saudi Arabia urges Trump not to attack Iran 01:24:45 - Why Saudi Arabia opposed a potential US strike on Iran Support stories that matter. Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR0fZh5SBxxMNYdg0VzRFkg/join Catch previous episodes of MEE LIVE, our biweekly news programme exploring the stories shaping our world through breaking coverage, expert analysis, and hard-hitting interviews. Originally airing Tuesdays & Thursdays at 12pm ET | 5pm BST Got a story tip or question? Reach us at [email protected] Subscribe to our channel: http://ow.ly/AVlW30n1OWH Subscribe to MEE Telegram channel to stay up to date: https://t.me/MiddleEastEye_TG Middle East Eye Website: https://middleeasteye.net Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@middleeasteye Follow us on Instagram: https://instagram.com/MiddleEastEye Like us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/MiddleEastEye Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MiddleEastEye