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London: There will be no normalization of ties between Saudi Arabia and Israel until an independent Palestinian state is established, Prince Turki Al-Faisal, the former head of the Kingdom’s intelligence services, has warned. 

During a talk at London-based think tank Chatham House, the former Saudi ambassador to the US also discussed Washington’s role in the peace process as the Gaza war approaches its first anniversary, and how talks before the outbreak of hostilities had been broadly positive.

He said the US is keen on the resumption of talks between Israel and Saudi Arabia to strengthen regional security and to forge economic ties, but Riyadh’s position is that “if there’s a Palestinian state that Israel accepts to come (into) existence, then we can talk about normalization with Israel.”

The prince added: “Before Oct. 7 … talks not only progressed along those lines, but also the Kingdom invited a Palestinian delegation to come and talk directly to the Americans about what it is that might bring about a Palestinian state.

“I’m not privy to those talks so I don’t know what happened between the Palestinians and the Americans, but the Kingdom’s position has always been we won’t speak for the Palestinians. They have to do it for themselves. Unfortunately, of course, the Oct. 7 (Hamas attack against Israel) put an end to those talks.”

Prince Turki said the establishment of a Palestinian state is not only crucial for Israeli ties with Saudi Arabia but with the rest of the Muslim world as well.

“A Palestinian state is a primary condition for Saudi Arabia to have normalization with Israel, but … on the Israeli side, the whole government is saying no Palestinian state,” he added.

Prince Turki said for Saudi Arabia, an independent Palestine would encapsulate the 1967 borders, including East Jerusalem.

He added that the Kingdom has led the way in trying to achieve a peaceful resolution to the conflict, citing the 1981 King Fahd Peace Plan and the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative proposed by King Abdullah.

During the current Gaza war, “the Kingdom led the Muslim world, and not only summits with the Arabs but with the (rest of the) Muslim world, and also … the diplomatic missions that have been taking place to convince the world that there must be an end to the fighting, led by the Saudi foreign minister,” Prince Turki said.

“The Kingdom has been in the forefront of condemning the Israeli onslaught on the Palestinians, not just in Gaza but equally in the West Bank.”

He criticized the US and other Western nations for not applying more pressure on Israel to end the war, citing how the UK had only recently begun to suspend certain arms export licenses to Israel following the election of a new government in July.

“I’d like to see more done by the UK,” he said. “I think, for example, the UK … should recognize the state of Palestine. It’s long overdue.”

Prince Turki said the US could apply direct pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the actions of his government and military, and should address funding and lobbying by groups and individuals sympathetic to Israel.

“I think the US has enormous tools to affect Israel which it isn’t using, not just simply … denial of supply of weapons and material to the Israelis,” the prince added.

“A lot of financial help goes to Israel from the US. If some of the privileges that (the) Israeli lobby, for example, in America, enjoys — of tax-free contributions to Israel — can be withdrawn from those Israeli lobbyists, that will (put) great pressure on Israel.”

In the US, “you have to register as a lobbyist for a specific country, or be prosecuted, if you want to talk for that country, but a lot of organizations in America do that for Israel and still enjoy a tax-free status because they’re considered not representing Israel per se, but simply as philanthropic or humanitarian groupings,” he said.

“There are many tools that are available to the US, not simply harsh talk, which seems to have gotten us nowhere. But is America ready to do that? As I said, I’m not too optimistic about that.”

Kalaburagi: Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Tuesday said that alleged role of "outsiders" belonging to the banned Popular Front of India (PFI) in the violence at Nagamangala will be examined and action taken based on the probe report.

Clashes broke out between two groups during a Ganesh idol procession in the town in Mandya district following which mobs went on a rampage targeting several shops and vehicles leading to tension on September 11 night.

"Everything will be examined, investigation will be done, on getting the report we will decide. We will not protect anyone, and unnecessarily no one will be punished. We will look into the facts based on the inquiry report and take action accordingly," Parameshwara told reporters here.

He noted that two officials -- Deputy Superintendent of Police and Inspector -- have already been suspended, and added that further action will be taken based on the report.

The Minister said the government has taken the Nagamangala violence seriously and there is no question of taking such incidents lightly. "BJP makes such allegations, but we too have responsibility, we don't take anything lightly."

On allegations that "outsiders" were involved in the violence, Parameshwara said if inquiry reveals complicity of such elements, it would be examined and action taken accordingly.

Regarding claims that those belonging to the banned PFI were involved, he said: "It will be known from the probe."

On demand for a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe into Nagamangala violence by BJP which alleged "failure" of state's home department, Parameshwara said: "they keep saying such things, we will not listen to all that."

According to police, an argument had broken out between two groups, when the procession by devotees from Badri Koppalu village reached a place of worship on September 11, and some miscreants hurled stones, which escalated the situation.

Following the clashes between the two groups, a few shops were vandalised and goods torched and vehicles set on fire, they added.

To allegations from some BJP leaders that the party MLA Munirathna was arrested "hurriedly", Parameshwara said, police acted after the complaint was given, "what's wrong in that?"

Munirathna, who represents Rajarajeshwari Nagar Assembly segment here, was picked up from Nangli village in Kolar’s Mulbagal on Saturday evening on charges of harassing a Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) contractor for bribe, casteist slurs on a former corporator, and also cheating, criminal intimidation and insulting a woman’s modesty.

Asked about "illegal items" seized from the prison here recently by officials, he said an investigation has begun on this.

When a photo of actor Darshan Thoogudeepa, who was lodged in Parappana Agrahara Prison here, hanging out with other inmates surfaced recently, action was taken based on the probe report and eleven officials were suspended.

"I will look into recent seizures made too and action will be taken; also probe is on at other prisons in the state and action will follow if anything wrong is found," the Minister added.

Police raided the high-security wing of Parappana Agrahara Central Prison here on Saturday and seized smartphones and other illegal goods.

New Delhi: Downloading and watching child pornography is an offence under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, the Supreme Court ruled today in a landmark judgment on the stringent law to prevent child abuse.

The bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justice JB Pardiwala set aside the Madras High Court order that had ruled that merely downloading and watching child pornography was not an offence under the POCSO Act. The Supreme Court noted that the high court had committed an "egregious error" in passing the judgment.

The Madras High Court's order had come in a case in which a 28-year-old man was charged with downloading child pornography on his phone. The court had quashed the criminal proceedings against the man and said children these days are grappling with the serious issue of watching pornography and society must be mature enough to educate them instead of punishing them.

The Supreme Court today restored the criminal proceedings against the man.

At the outset, Justice Pardiwala thanked the Chief Justice for the opportunity to pen this judgment. The order focused on Section 15 of the POCSO Act which lays down punishment for the storage of pornographic material involving children.

"Any person who stores any pornographic material involving a child and fails to report or destroy it is punishable with a fine of not less than five thousand rupees., and repeat offence will be punishable with fine of not less than ten thousand rupees. If the material is stored for further transmitting or propagating, then along with fine, it is punishable with upto three years of imprisonment. For storing child pornographic material for commercial purpose is punishable with three to five years of imprisonment, and in subsequent conviction, upto seven years of imprisonment," the Section says.

Justice Pardiwala said that in this case, mens rea is to be gathered from actus rea -- mens rea refers to the intent behind the crime and actus rea is the actual criminal act.

"We have said on the lingering impact of child pornography on the victimisation and abuse of children... We have suggested to the Parliament to bring an amendment to POCSO... so that child pornography can be referred to as child sexually abusive and exploitative material. We have suggested an ordinance can be brought in. We have asked all courts not to refer to child pornography in any order," the bench said.

The Chief Justice called it a "landmark judgment" and thanked Justice Pardiwala.