Saudi Crown Prince Tells U.S. He 'Fears He Will Be Assassinated for Normalizing Saudi-Israeli Ties'

Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, knows a thing or two about assassinations. Lately, he's been telling U.S. lawmakers he's at risk of one.

The Saudi royal has mentioned to members of Congress that he's putting his life in danger by pursuing a grand bargain with the U.S. and Israel that includes normalizing Saudi-Israeli ties. On at least one occasion, he has invoked Anwar Sadat, the Egyptian leader slain after striking a peace deal with Israel, asking what the U.S. did to protect Sadat. He also has discussed the threats he faces in explaining why any such deal must include a true path to a Palestinian state -- especially now that the war in Gaza has heightened Arab fury toward Israel.

The talks were described to me by a former U.S. official briefed on the conversations and two other people with knowledge of them. All of the people, like others quoted in this column, were granted anonymity to describe a high-stakes, sensitive topic. The discussions have been weighty and serious, but one takeaway, the people said, is that the crown prince, often referred to as MBS, appears intent on striking the mega-deal with the U.S. and Israel despite the risks involved. He sees it as crucial to his country's future.

The broad contours of the largely secret and still-developing pact have emerged in various reports, including my own. It includes multiple U.S. commitments to the Saudis, including security guarantees via a treaty, aid on a civilian nuclear program and economic investment in areas such as technology. According to some reports, in exchange Saudi Arabia would limit its dealings with China. It also would establish diplomatic and other ties with Israel -- a huge boon for the Israelis given Saudi Arabia's importance among Muslim nations.

To MBS' chagrin, however, the Israeli government has been unwilling to include a credible path to a Palestinian state in the pact.

"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 MBS has had with regional and American leaders.