Saudi Islamic Leader Sparks Outrage for Urging Britons to “Talk Less About Gaza”
Mohammed Al-Issa’s remarks in London fuel backlash over Saudi efforts to suppress solidarity with Palestinians amid normalization with Israel.
Watan-In a dramatic development reflecting the extent of Saudi Arabia’s open alignment with the Israeli narrative, statements by the Secretary-General of the Muslim World League, Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa, sparked widespread controversy in British political and media circles after he urged Britons to “talk less about Gaza,” claiming that discussions about the Israeli aggression on Palestinians are deepening divisions within British society.
Al-Issa, who previously served as Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Justice, made the remarks during a lecture in London titled “Promoting Social Cohesion,” delivering a speech considered shocking and unprecedented from a figure ostensibly representing Islamic values—especially amid the ongoing Israeli crimes in Gaza.
He stated that the British government should treat the issue of “community integration” as a matter of “national security,” arguing that focusing on the war in Gaza harms Britain’s internal unity. Observers view this as a deliberate attempt to dry up grassroots support for Palestinians in the West.
Al-Issa Remarks Highlight Saudi Shift Toward Israel Normalization
Al-Issa’s remarks did not come in a vacuum. They coincided with a Saudi diplomatic and media campaign aimed at calming Western public opinion over the crimes of the occupation, as part of a formal Saudi path toward normalizing relations with Israel—even if it means silencing global voices of conscience in solidarity with Palestinians.
Public opinion polls in the UK show that a majority of Britons support an arms embargo on Israel and demand an immediate ceasefire. Yet Al-Issa’s statements run counter to public sentiment, reinforcing the impression that the Saudi regime is attempting to whitewash Israeli crimes in exchange for political gains.
What’s particularly striking is that the Muslim World League, headquartered in Mecca, claims to be a non-governmental organization dedicated to “serving Muslim causes.” However, the statements of its Secretary-General contradict these principles entirely, exposing the organization’s true stance when it comes to Palestine—and Gaza in particular.
This scandal adds to a long record of Saudi bias in favor of the occupier, at a time when global public support for the Palestinian resistance is rising, while some Arab regimes engage in open betrayal under the banner of so-called “political realism.”
