Day 809 - Saudi prince tells ToI Israel needs to start being 'normal'

7 snips

Dec 23, 2025

Jacob Magid, U.S. Bureau Chief for The Times of Israel and expert on Middle Eastern affairs, interviews Prince Turki bin Faisal, Saudi Arabia's former intelligence chief. They discuss the Saudi stance on normalization with Israel, emphasizing that it hinges on Israel behaving like a 'normal country.' The conversation highlights Saudi concerns about Israeli settlements and the path to a Palestinian state. Magid also touches on a significant meeting between U.S. Ambassador Huckabee and Palestinian officials, and examines Vice President Vance's controversial remarks on American antisemitism.

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INSIGHT

Saudi Stance Tied To Israeli Behavior

Saudi Prince Turki says Riyadh won't normalize with Israel until Israel "acts like a normal country" including respect for international law and a Palestinian pathway.
Jacob Magid notes this message aims to influence Israeli audiences and reflects broader regional expectations tied to a two-state framework.

ANECDOTE

How The Interview Was Arranged

Jacob Magid recounts securing the rare interview with Prince Turki after building contacts and because Turki is a royal willing to speak more candidly.
The interview was conducted virtually since Magid couldn't travel to Riyadh but had previously been hosted in Jeddah during Biden's visit.

INSIGHT

Two-State Reversal Highlighted

Prince Turki argued Israel has shifted away from accepting a two-state solution while the Arab world has softened toward recognition.
Magid warns that current Israeli politics and settlement expansion make Saudi demands — pre-1967 borders pathway — politically difficult in Israel.

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Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

US bureau chief Jacob Magid joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

Saudi Arabia’s former intelligence chief, Prince Turki bin Faisal, spoke with Magid on Sunday and said that Riyadh is currently not even entertaining the idea of normalizing relations with Israel and will only do so if Jerusalem begins acting like a “normal country.” We hear how Israel could behave more "normally" and what else the royal family member said.

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee held a rare meeting with Palestinian Authority Vice President Hussein al-Sheikh in Ramallah last Wednesday to discuss ongoing tensions in the West Bank. We speak about the fraught US-PA ties and how this meeting comes on the heels of increased cooperation surrounding ceasefire efforts in the Gaza Strip.

And finally, US Vice President JD Vance claimed in an interview on Sunday that almost no Americans are antisemitic and that concerns about antisemitic voices are raised as a way to avoid discussing “a real backlash to a consensus view in American foreign policy” on Israel. Magid delves into this thorny issue, even as attacks against Jews in the US continue to be at a high since the Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

Ex-Saudi intel chief to ToI: Riyadh will consider normalization when Israel acts normally

Huckabee holds rare meeting with PA official to discuss West Bank tensions — officials

Huckabee: Iran ‘didn’t get the full message’ when US bombed its nuclear sites

Vance: Almost no Americans are antisemitic, real issue is ‘backlash’ to US policy on Israel

Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Podwaves.

IMAGE: Illustrative: Saudi Prince Turki al-Faisal talks to the Associated Press in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, November 24, 2018. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)

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