Saudi Arabia rejects Netanyahu remarks on Palestinian displacement

Saudi Arabia has firmly dismissed comments made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding the displacement of Palestinians, calling them unacceptable.

The kingdom’s foreign ministry issued a statement on Sunday, reaffirming its unwavering opposition to any suggestion that Palestinians be removed from their land.

Israeli officials have previously floated the idea of establishing a Palestinian state on Saudi territory, a notion that drew sharp criticism.

During an interview on the pro-Netanyahu Channel 14, the Israeli leader appeared to joke when the interviewer mistakenly said “Saudi state” instead of “Palestinian state” before quickly correcting himself.

While the Saudi statement did not explicitly address Netanyahu’s remark about a Palestinian state in its territory, it strongly condemned the mindset behind such suggestions. Egypt and Jordan also criticized these remarks, with Cairo describing them as a “direct infringement of Saudi sovereignty.”

Riyadh acknowledged and appreciated the solidarity expressed by “brotherly” nations in rejecting Netanyahu’s position.

“This occupying extremist mindset does not comprehend what the Palestinian territory means for the brotherly people of Palestine and its conscientious, historical, and legal association with that land,” the statement read.

The issue of Palestinian displacement took an even more controversial turn after former U.S. President Donald Trump suggested on Tuesday that Washington should take control of Gaza and transform it into a “Riviera of the Middle East” after relocating its Palestinian population.

Trump’s remarks sparked widespread outrage across the Arab world, further complicating ongoing ceasefire efforts in the war-ravaged territory.