- Saudi Arabia condemns Netanyahu’s suggestion to establish a Palestinian state on its land.
- GCC and Arab nations reject Israeli PM’s remarks, calling them dangerous and irresponsible.
- Tensions rise amid ongoing Gaza war, with thousands killed and infrastructure devastated.
Saudi Arabia has strongly condemned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s suggestion that Palestinian statehood could be established on Saudi land, calling it an attempt to “divert attention” from Israel’s ongoing military actions in Gaza.
In a statement on Sunday, the Saudi Foreign Ministry rejected Netanyahu’s remarks, emphasizing that the Palestinian people have the right to their land and are not “intruders or immigrants” who can be expelled at Israel’s discretion.
EDITOR’S PICKS
- 45% of Nigerian Girls Become Mothers Before 18 — World Bank
- ECOWAS Faces Historic Defection as Three West African Nations Withdraw
- Netanyahu to Meet Trump at White House Next Week
Netanyahu made the controversial statement during an interview with Israel’s Channel 14 on Thursday when he responded to a reporter’s slip of the tongue. After the journalist mistakenly said “Saudi state” instead of “Palestinian state,” Netanyahu remarked, “The Saudis can create a Palestinian state in Saudi Arabia; they have a lot of land over there.” The interviewer responded that the idea was “worth exploring.”
The comments sparked outrage across the Arab world, with Qatar, Jordan, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Iraq, and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) condemning the suggestion. GCC Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi called the remarks “dangerous and irresponsible,” accusing Israel of disregarding international laws and state sovereignty.
Saudi Arabia also thanked its “brotherly countries” for supporting its stance against Netanyahu’s statement.
This controversy follows another contentious proposal by former U.S. President Donald Trump, who suggested that the United States should “take over” and “own” Gaza, resettling Palestinians elsewhere—an idea widely condemned by Arab leaders as amounting to ethnic cleansing.
FURTHER READING
- [VIDEO] Commotion Rocks PDP BoT Meeting as Faction Confront Each Other
- NiDCOM Prepares for Deportation of Nigerians from U.S
- BREAKING: Sowore Pleads Not Guilty to Cybercrime Charges Filed by Police IG
Trump has also claimed that Saudi Arabia does not require Palestinian statehood as a condition for normalizing ties with Israel—something Riyadh has repeatedly denied.
The war in Gaza has resulted in the deaths of at least 61,700 Palestinians, including approximately 18,000 children, with thousands more missing. Israel launched the offensive in response to Hamas-led attacks on October 7, which killed 1,139 people and saw over 250 taken hostage, dozens of whom remain in captivity.
