The kingdom reiterated that “the Palestinian people have the right to their land” and cannot be “expelled”.
Saudi Arabia has condemned the suggestion of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu according to which the land of the kingdom is used to establish a Palestinian state.
On Sunday, in a statement, the Saudi Foreign Ministry accused Netanyahu of having tried to “divert attention” from the “crimes” in the course of Israel in Gaza, including “ethnic cleansing”.
“The kingdom says that the Palestinian people have the right to their land, and it is not intruders or immigrants who can be expelled whenever the brutal Israeli occupation wishes,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
#Statement | The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia appreciates the condemnation, disapproval and total rejection announced by the fraternal countries that Benjamin Netanyahu declared concerning the displacement of the Palestinian people of their land and the kingdom values … pic.twitter.com/ebj2svhx4W
– Ministry of Foreign Affairs 🇸🇦 (@ksamofaen) February 9, 2025
Netanyahu responded on Thursday, an interviewer on Israel channel 14 who missed it by saying “Saudi state” instead of “the Palestinian state”.
“The Saudis can create a Palestinian state in Saudi Arabia; They have a lot of land there, “said Netanyahu.
The interviewer replied that it was an idea to explore.
The exchange has led to anger reactions from the Arab states, notably Qatar, Jordan, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Iraq, as well as the Gulf Cooperation Council with six countries (CCG) .
“These dangerous and irresponsible statements confirm the approach of the Israeli occupation forces in their lack of respect for international laws and treaties and the United Nations and the sovereignty of the States,” said CCC secretary general, Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi.
The Saudi Foreign Ministry thanked the “fraternal countries” for denouncing Netanyahu’s remarks.
The discussions on the fate of the Palestinians in Gaza had already been turned upside down by a proposal for an earlier shock from the American president Donald Trump so that the United States “takes over” and “possess” Gaza, reinstalling the Palestinians elsewhere in a decision that would be equivalent ethnic cleaning. This suggestion, in the midst of a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, was also strongly condemned by the Arab leaders.
Trump also said that Saudi Arabia would not require the formation of a Palestinian state as a prerequisite for normalization of links with Israel, an assertion that Riyad has denied several times.
The War of Israel against Gaza killed at least 61,700 Palestinians, including around 18,000 children, and destroyed a large part of the enclave infrastructure. More than 14,000 more people are missing and are presumed to be dead.
The attack led by Hamas against Israel on October 7 which sparked the war killed 1,139 people and seized more than 250 captives, of which dozens are still considered in the enclave.
