Far-right Israeli Minister Bezalel Smotrich apologizes to Saudi Arabia
Hours after making derogatory and threatening remarks against Saudi Arabia, Far-right Israeli Minister Bezalel Smotrich apologized to the Kingdom.
Tel Aviv: Hours after making derogatory and threatening remarks against Saudi Arabia, Far-right Israeli Minister Bezalel Smotrich apologized to the Kingdom.
Participating in a conference in Israel Bezalel Smotrich said, "If Saudi Arabia tells us normalisation in exchange for a Palestinian state, friends, no thank you.”
He also virtually threatened Saudi Arabia saying, “Keep riding camels on the sand in the Saudi desert… We'll keep truly developing… with an economy, a society, a state and all the great and wonderful things we know how to do", Smotrich said, prompting sharp reactions from Saudi Arabia as well as Israel.
Following the outrage, Smotrich said he regret his comments made during the conference Thursday.
“My statement regarding Saudi Arabia was unfortunate, and I regret any offense it may have caused,” Smotrich said in a video statement posted on social media platform X only minutes ago.
He, however, reaffirmed that he would not agree to normalization in exchange for the establishment of a Palestinian State.
Saudi Stand on State of Palestine
Bezalel Smotrich had made similar statement in September when Saudi Arabia and France in a joint effort persuaded different countries of the world to recognise the State of Palestine. As a result, a number of countries, including United Kingdom, Canada and Australia besides France, recognised the Independent State of Palestine ahead of the UN General Assembly Sessions September 2025.
Smotrich's latest derogatory remarks against Saudi Arabia made at the conference - titled “Halacha in the Technological Era” organized by the Zomet Institute and the Makor Rishon newspaper, came amidst claims by US President Trump and others that Saudi Arabia may join the Abraham Accords, normalizing relations with and recognizing Israel in the coming months.
Saudi Arabia on its part has linked any talk of normalisation with Israel with the establishment of the State of Palestine.
“The claim that the Kingdom’s leadership has somehow modified its longstanding commitment to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state is baseless,”Saudi Arabia had said in December last when similar reports surfaced in the media.
Also, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammad bin Salman, while addressing the Kingdom's Shoura Council in September 2024, had ruled out recognition of Israel or any ties with the Jewish state unless the State of Palestine with Jerusalem as its capital is established.
In another stronger warning, the Kingdom had in February 2024 categorically said there will not be any relation with Israel until the Zionists free Palestine, end their occupation and stop their carnage against the Palestinians in Gaza, West Bank and other occupied territories.
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