Yemen Monitor / Newsroom:
Prince Turki Al-Faisal, former head of Saudi intelligence, said that the ambitions of Aidarous Al-Zubaidi, head of the dissolved Southern Transitional Council (STC), to achieve independence for southern Yemen “may be linked to Israel,” in light of previous statements by Al-Zubaidi in which he expressed readiness to cooperate with Tel Aviv.
Al-Faisal’s remarks came in an opinion article published by the newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat, in which he criticized Israeli policies that—according to his description—aim to fragment Arab states and weaken their geographical unity, starting with Syria, moving through the Palestinian cause, and extending to the Horn of Africa and Yemen.
Al-Faisal drew a connection between what he described as the “repulsive” approach of Israeli occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which seeks to exploit minority issues and partition, and Israel’s unilateral recognition of the “Somaliland” region, considering that this trend could extend to southern Yemen through local actors seeking secession.
Prince Turki Al-Faisal affirmed that Saudi Arabia stands against these projects and remains committed to the principles of supporting the unity of Arab states and rejecting any normalization with Israel before the Palestinian people obtain their legitimate rights and establish an independent state.
He noted that Saudi Arabia continues its pivotal role in leading the Arab and Islamic worlds, combating extremism and terrorism, and rejecting foreign interventions that target regional stability and the unity of its peoples.
