"Saudi Arabia Rejects Netanyahu’s Proposal for Palestinian State | Regional Backlash Explained"
Benjamin Netanyahu's suggestion that Saudi Arabia should house a Palestinian state has been harshly criticized by Saudi Arabia, which calls it an effort to divert attention from Israel's ongoing activities in Gaza, described as "ethnic cleansing." During an interview on Channel 14 in Israel, Netanyahu made the remark, stating, "The Saudis can create a Palestinian state in Saudi Arabia; they have a lot of land over there." The comment ignited fury throughout the Arab world, with Qatar, Jordan, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Iraq, and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) all deploring it.
The Saudi Foreign Ministry restated that Palestinians have the right to their land and can't be forcefully resettled at Israel's whim. GCC Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi criticized Netanyahu's statement as "risky and irresponsible," claiming Israel flouted international law and the sovereignty of other nations.
The rising present United States gives way in this debate. President Donald Trump's suggestion for the USA. a widely denounced case of ethnic cleansing is to “take over” Gaza and relocate Palestinians someplace else. Saudi Arabia has also denied Trump's assertion that they will not need Palestinian statehood to normalize relationships with Israel.
By contrast, Israel's fighting in Gaza has resulted in at least 61,700 Palestinian casualties, including around 18,000 children, and more than 14,000 others missing and presumed dead. Starting on 7 October with a Hamas strike on Israel that inflicted 1,139 casualties and seized over 250 hostages—some of which are still held—the war started.
