“The Saudis can create a Palestinian state in Saudi Arabia; they have a lot of land over there,” Netanyahu said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has suggested that Saudi Arabia should establish a state for Palestinians on the kingdom’s land.
“The Saudis can create a Palestinian state in Saudi Arabia; they have a lot of land over there,” Netanyahu said on Thursday during an interview with Israeli Channel 14.
Following Trump’s claims that Saudi Arabia does not demand a Palestinian state for normalizing with Israel, which Saudi Arabia denied, Netanyahu suggested that Palestinians should establish their state in Saudi Arabia.
In an interview with Israel’s Channel 14, Netanyahu stated,… pic.twitter.com/4kmWBBO7qh
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) February 7, 2025
Asked whether a Palestinian state was necessary for normalization with Saudi Arabia, Netanyahu rejected the notion, instead framing it as a “security threat to Israel.”
“Especially not a Palestinian state. After Oct. 7? Do you know what that is? There was a Palestinian state, it was called Gaza. Gaza, led by Hamas, was a Palestinian state and look what we got,” he stated.
Question of Normalization
On potential normalization with Saudi Arabia, Netanyahu was confident it would materialize.
“I think peace between Israel and Saudi Arabia is not only feasible, I think it’s going to happen,” he said.
#Statement | The Foreign Ministry affirms that Saudi Arabia’s position on the establishment of a Palestinian state is firm and unwavering. HRH Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister clearly and unequivocally reaffirmed this stance. pic.twitter.com/0uuoq8h12I
— Foreign Ministry 🇸🇦 (@KSAmofaEN) February 5, 2025
The Saudi Foreign Ministry in a statement on Wednesday affirmed its position on the establishment of a Palestinian state was “firm and unwavering.”
It stated that Saudi leader Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud emphasized during his speech at the opening of the Shura Council in September 2024 that his country would “continue its relentless efforts to establish an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, and will not establish diplomatic relations with Israel without that.”
‘Take Over’ Gaza Remarks
The Channel 14 interview took place while Netanyahu was in Washington, DC, where he appeared alongside US President Donald Trump at a joint press conference on Tuesday, Anadolu reported.
More States Reject Trump’s Gaza ‘Take Over’ Proposal – Jordan’s King heads to US
Trump said the US would “take over” Gaza and resettle Palestinians elsewhere under an extraordinary redevelopment plan that he claimed could turn the enclave into “the Riviera of the Middle East.”
He reiterated his proposal on Thursday and said no US soldiers would be needed, according to the report.
The proposal has been widely condemned by world leaders.
(PC, Anadolu)
