Arab League slams Netanyahu’s Palestinian state in Saudi proposal

Cairo, Feb 9 (EFE).- Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Abulgueit on Sunday denounced Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s suggestion of creating a Palestinian state within Saudi Arabia’s borders, calling it “a complete disconnection from reality.”

In a statement, the head of the pan-Arab organization strongly condemned the idea, stating that “the logic behind it is unacceptable.”

He insisted that a Palestinian state can only be established within Palestinian territories, with East Jerusalem as its capital, and that the West Bank and Gaza must remain united.

“Any other idea is nothing more than a nightmare or an illusion that exists only in the minds of those who propose it,” Abulgueit added.

The Saudi Foreign Ministry praised the widespread rejection of Netanyahu’s remarks, emphasizing that they are an attempt to divert attention from “systematic crimes” committed by Israel in Gaza, including what Riyadh described as “genocide” against the Palestinian people.

Egypt and Jordan also strongly criticized Netanyahu’s statements, with their foreign ministries calling them “aggressive,” “inciting,” and a blatant violation of international law and the UN Charter.

Meanwhile, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which includes 57 member states, labeled the proposal as “ethnic cleansing” and warned that it threatens Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty and national security.

During a discussion with the right-wing Channel 14 TV network about Saudi Arabia’s conditions for normalization, anchor Yaakov Bardugo mistakenly referred to a “Palestinian state” as a “Saudi state.”

Netanyahu swiftly corrected him but then remarked that “the Saudis can create a Palestinian state in Saudi Arabia; they have plenty of land there.”

Bardugo called it an interesting idea that shouldn’t be “ruled out,” to which the prime minister reiterated that Saudi Arabia has “a lot of territory.” EFE

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