Amid mounting talk of a peace deal between Saudi Arabia and Israel, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman made his first-first appearance in Jerusalem on Monday — on a billboard.
Giant posters featuring Prince Mohammed shaking hands with U.S. President Donald Trump against the backdrop of an Israeli flag were unveiled in Jerusalem and other cities with the message, “Israel is Ready.”
The billboards also appeared in multiple locations in Tel Aviv and on mobile trucks near Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s meetings in Washington, D.C. They are part of a campaign by the Coalition for Regional Security, a group of Israeli security, diplomacy and business leaders formed after Oct. 7 to advocate for a regional defense alliance against Iran and its proxies.
“This is the very first time that the crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman MBS, appears on billboards in Israel, itself an historic act,” said Lianne Pollak-David, a founding partner of the Coalition for Regional Security and former advisor in Israel’s National Security Council.
The group called on the American president and the de facto Saudi ruler to “reshape history.”
“Saudi-Israel normalization will transform the Middle East, securing our shared future against Iranian aggression and regional instability. It’s time for moderate forces to come together,” the group said in a statement. “It’s time for a new regional order. The day after is now. We are ready. Israel is ready.”
The group cited a poll conducted last month with the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv, which found that 72.5% of Israelis support a U.S.-led plan linking hostage returns, Saudi normalization, a regional security alliance against Iran, and a “path toward Palestinian separation.” The group advocates for the gradual detachment of the Palestinians from Israel, rather than the rapid creation of an independent Palestinian state.
“Israel is ready to declare a separation path from the Palestinians in a gradual and secure manner as part of a regional arrangement,” Pollak-David said.
The campaign comes as Netanyahu prepares to meet with Trump, who views a Saudi-Israel normalization deal as a desired extension of the Abraham Accords between Israel and Arab countries struck during his first term.
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