Prince Turki al-Faisal tells London audience Saudi normalisation with Israelis unlikely at present, and denies that kingdom is cracking down on Palestinian solidarity

Speaking during an event at Chatham House in London on Friday, Prince Turki - who led Saudi Arabia’s intelligence for over two decades - called on Washington to deny Israel financial and military support.

“A lot of financial help goes to Israel from the United States,” the 79-year-old, whose father King Faisal ruled the kingdom between 1964 and 1975, told reporters and foreign policy analysts in the British capital.

He stated that “Israeli lobbyists” enjoyed tax-free status in the US because they were considered to be “philanthropic or humanitarian”, rather than as representing the interests of Israel. He urged for such tax exemptions on pro-Israel groups to be withdrawn by the Americans in light of the ongoing conflict.