Saudi crown prince shocks again with remarks on Palestine’s refusal to accept Israel peace offerings

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Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman reportedly said during a recent meeting with Jewish leaders that Palestinian leaders need to accept US-led peace offerings with Israel or "shut up and stop complaining." (Rolex - Pool/Getty Images) 

Chris EnloeWEEKEND EDITOR

Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman said recently that Palestinian leaders need to accept what the United States offers them in terms of a peace deal with Israel — or “shut up and stop complaining.”

The comments are surprising because they come from the de-facto head of the Saudi Arabian government, which maintains no formal diplomatic relations with Israel. What’s more, the comments reportedly came during a meeting with the heads of influential Jewish organizations in New York City last month.

Axios first reported the details of the March 27 meeting.

What are the details?

Crown Prince Mohammad was unequivocal in what he thinks of Palestinian leaders continually rejecting peace offerings.

“In the last several decades, the Palestinian leadership has missed one opportunity after the other and rejected all the peace proposals it was given. It is about time the Palestinians take the proposals and agree to come to the negotiations table or shut up and stop complaining,” he reportedly said.

However, the crown prince reportedly stressed during the meeting that Israeli-Palestinian relations must improve if Israel desires better diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf nations — which are currently nearly non-existent.

Still, the heir to the Saudi Arabian throne said Palestine isn’t a pressing issue for his government. As the crown prince has told the world, his country is more concerned with Iran and the role it is playing to destabilize the Middle East.

What was the reaction to Crown Prince Mohammad’s comments?

Utter shock, according to Axios.

“People literally fell off their chairs,” a source told the publication.

What else has he said about Israel?

In an interview with The Atlantic earlier this month, the crown prince acknowledged Israel’s right to exist, one of the first times an official representative of the Saudi Arabian government has ever done so.

“I believe the Palestinians and the Israelis have the right to have their own land,” he said. “Our country doesn’t have a problem with Jews.”