Kingdom forcefully rejects Israeli leader's comments about Palestinian state on Saudi territory, despite this being nothing more than a light-hearted quip. "The Zionists and their supporters must realize well that they will not be able to lure the Saudi leadership and government into the traps of media maneuvers and false political pressures," a Saudi official said. Saudi Arabia issued a sharp rebuke to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday, The National reported, rejecting his tongue-in-cheek suggestion that the kingdom could host millions of Palestinians on its territory and sparking a broader diplomatic confrontation.
The Saudi Foreign Ministry condemned what it called an "extremist, occupying mentality" after Netanyahu told Israel's Channel 14, "The Saudis can create a Palestinian state in Saudi Arabia; they have a lot of land over there," in response to questions over the controversial US plan to relocate Gazans temporarily in order to rebuild Gaza. In a strongly worded statement, the Saudi Foreign Ministry criticized what it described as ongoing Israeli actions in Gaza without directly addressing Netanyahu's specific comments about relocating Palestinians to Saudi territory.
The United Arab Emirates and Egypt joined in condemning Netanyahu's proposal, according to The National. The Saudi statement emphasized that Palestinians have deep historical and legal connections to their land. "The kingdom stresses its categorical rejection to such statements that aim to divert attention from the continuous crimes committed by the Israeli occupation against the Palestinian brothers in Gaza, including the ethnic cleansing they are subjected to," the Saudi Foreign Ministry statement said. (Ed note: It's a part of the Arab plan to always keep the Palestinian trapped in Gaza. It puts more pressure on Israel.) (Read More)
