Abu Dhabi is ‘Israel’s Trojan horse’, senior Saudi figure tells The David Hearst Podcast
Published date: 21 February 2026 11:54 GMT
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Last update: 2 weeks ago
In an interview on The David Hearst Podcast, former Saudi Shura Council member Ahmed Al-Tuwaijri described the United Arab Emirates as “the Trojan horse of Israeli ambitions”, arguing that Abu Dhabi’s regional interventions have advanced Israel’s strategic objectives.
Al-Tuwaijri said “Abu Dhabi is a small district of Riyadh. There’s no comparison,” and accused the current Israeli leadership of being “not worthy of any cooperation” and unable to coexist with Palestinians. Speaking about Gaza, he said: “This genocide is a disgrace humanity will remember.”
He added that Saudi Arabia’s position remains unchanged: “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.”
Al-Tuwaijri further warned that Israel represents a wider danger, calling it “a threat to humanity, to Judaism, to Jews, to the region and to the Arab world.”
Al-Tuwaijri said “Abu Dhabi is a small district of Riyadh. There’s no comparison,” and accused the current Israeli leadership of being “not worthy of any cooperation” and unable to coexist with Palestinians. Speaking about Gaza, he said: “This genocide is a disgrace humanity will remember.”
He added that Saudi Arabia’s position remains unchanged: “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.”
Al-Tuwaijri further warned that Israel represents a wider danger, calling it “a threat to humanity, to Judaism, to Jews, to the region and to the Arab world.”
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