Arab nations condemn Netanyahu’s Palestinian state proposal on Saudi land

Saudi Arabia and other Arab nations have strongly condemned comments made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in which he appeared to suggest that a future Palestinian state could be established on Saudi land.

Netanyahu’s remarks, which some Israeli media outlets interpreted as a joke, come at a time of heightened regional tensions, particularly following former U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposal to take control of Gaza and displace its population abroad.

Arab League and Saudi Arabia Respond

The Arab League’s Secretary-General, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, denounced Netanyahu’s comments on Sunday, calling them completely detached from reality and nothing more than fantasies and illusions.

Meanwhile, the Saudi Foreign Ministry issued a strong statement of rejection, accusing Netanyahu of trying to divert attention from Israel’s ongoing crimes against Palestinians in Gaza. The ministry welcomed the collective condemnation expressed by brotherly Arab nations against the Israeli prime minister’s statements.

Netanyahu’s Controversial Interview

During a television interview on Thursday, Netanyahu was discussing potential diplomatic normalization with Saudi Arabia with right-wing Israeli journalist Yaakov Bardugo.

At one point, Bardugo appeared to misspeak, saying that Riyadh had taken the position that there would be “no progress without a Saudi state.”

Netanyahu immediately corrected him, asking, “Palestinian state?”

Then, in what seemed like an offhand remark, the Israeli leader quipped, “Unless you want the Palestinian state to be in Saudi Arabia. They (the Saudis) have plenty of territory.”

He then shifted the conversation to the Abraham Accords, a series of agreements in which several Arab states normalized ties with Israel, stating that the peace process should be allowed to progress naturally.

Widespread Regional Condemnation

Despite Netanyahu’s tone, his suggestion that Palestinians could be resettled outside of Gaza and the West Bank sparked immediate backlash across the Arab world.

• Qatar, Egypt, and the Palestinian Foreign Ministry condemned the remarks, labeling them “racist.”
• Jordan’s Foreign Ministry called the comments “inflammatory” and a “clear violation of international law,” emphasizing that Palestinians have the right to establish an independent, sovereign state.
• The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Foreign Ministry described Netanyahu’s statement as “reprehensible and provocative,” branding it a blatant violation of international law and the UN Charter.

For Palestinians, any attempt to forcibly remove them from Gaza brings back painful memories of what is known as the “Nakba” (or catastrophe)—the mass displacement of Palestinians during the establishment of Israel in 1948.

Saudi Arabia’s Strong Rejection

In its official response, the Saudi government stated that Netanyahu’s “extremist and occupying mentality” fails to grasp the deep significance of Palestinian land for its people.

The Saudi Foreign Ministry further accused Israel of believing that Palestinians do not deserve to live, pointing to the destruction of Gaza and the deaths of tens of thousands of civilians as evidence of Israel’s lack of moral responsibility or human compassion.