09.02.2025 13:10
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that U.S. President Donald Trump's comments last week about "taking over the Gaza Strip and displacing its people" were "good and a new idea that had not been proposed before," while also making a statement about the possibility of establishing a Palestinian state in Saudi Arabia. However, Saudi Arabia rejected Netanyahu's remarks.
After Israeli officials proposed the establishment of a Palestinian state on Saudi soil, there were numerous reactions from the Arab world and the international community to U.S. President Donald Trump's statements last week regarding "taking over the Gaza Strip and displacing its people." In response, while consultations regarding the second phase of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas continue, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that "the U.S. President's proposal is good and a new idea that has not been proposed before."
"THEY ARE REJECTING TRUMP'S IDEA OF FREEING THEM FROM PRISON"
Netanyahu also added that Trump's proposal regarding the sector has not been on the agenda for many years, stating, "There were those who said we turned Gaza into a large prison, but now they are rejecting Trump's idea of freeing them from this prison."
NETANYAHU POINTED TO SAUDI ARABIA
In an interview with the U.S.-based Fox News television channel yesterday, Netanyahu stated that "it is Egypt that prevents Palestinians from leaving the destroyed area." Accusing Egypt of turning Gaza into an open prison, Netanyahu said, "It is time to give them a chance to leave." Following this, Netanyahu suggested on Israel's state channel Channel 14 that Palestinians should establish their state in Saudi Arabia instead of their own land.
Stating that it is necessary to find an alternative place for the people of Gaza to go, Netanyahu announced that "Israel will allow Palestinians who do not succumb to terror to return after the reconstruction of Gaza."
SAUDI ARABIA'S REACTION TO NETANYAHU
The Saudi Arabian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in a statement today that it "categorically" rejects Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's remarks regarding the expulsion of Palestinians from their lands. The statement said, "This occupying extremist mentality cannot comprehend what Palestinian lands mean for the brotherly Palestinian people and their moral, historical, and legal ties to these lands."
In Saudi Arabia's statement, while mentioning Netanyahu's name, there was no direct reference to comments about "establishing a Palestinian state on Saudi soil." Egypt and Jordan also condemned Israel's proposals, with Cairo evaluating this idea as "a direct violation of Saudi sovereignty." Saudi Arabia stated that it values the rejection of Netanyahu's words by "brother" states.