Saudi Arabia Rejects Netanyahu's Proposal to Host a Palestinian State
The kingdom reaffirmed that "the Palestinian people have a right to their land" and cannot be "forcibly displaced."
Saudi Arabia has strongly condemned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s suggestion that the kingdom’s land could be used to establish a Palestinian state.
In a statement on Sunday, the Saudi Foreign Ministry accused Netanyahu of attempting to "divert attention" from Israel’s ongoing "crimes" in Gaza, including what it described as "ethnic cleansing." The ministry reaffirmed that Palestinians have a rightful claim to their land and are not outsiders who can be forcibly removed at Israel’s discretion.
The controversy arose on Thursday when Netanyahu, responding to an interviewer on Israel’s Channel 14 who said "Saudi state" instead of "Palestinian state," remarked, "The Saudis can create a Palestinian state in Saudi Arabia; they have a lot of land over there." The interviewer then suggested it was an idea worth considering.
Netanyahu’s comments sparked strong backlash from Arab nations, including Qatar, Jordan, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Iraq, as well as the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). GCC Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi denounced the remarks as "dangerous and irresponsible," accusing Israel of disregarding international laws, UN treaties, and the sovereignty of states.
Saudi Arabia expressed gratitude to its "brotherly countries" for rejecting Netanyahu’s proposal.
The debate over the future of Palestinians in Gaza had already been unsettled by a controversial suggestion from former U.S. President Donald Trump, who proposed that the U.S. "take over" and "own" Gaza while resettling Palestinians elsewhere—an idea widely condemned as a form of ethnic cleansing. Trump also claimed that Saudi Arabia would not require the creation of a Palestinian state as a condition for normalizing ties with Israel, a claim repeatedly denied by Riyadh.
Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza has resulted in the deaths of at least 61,700 Palestinians, including around 18,000 children, while also devastating much of the enclave’s infrastructure. An estimated 14,000 more people remain missing and are presumed dead.
