Pakistan on Friday has “strongly” condemned the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s statement regarding the establishment of the the Palestinian state in Saudi Arabia. Addressing a weekly briefing FO spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said that the remarks by Israel are irresponsible, provocative, and thoughtless and are offending, undermining, and disregarding the legitimate rights of Palestinian people to self-determination and independent state on their own historic and legitimate territory.” 

He stated that Pakistan stands in solidarity with Saudi Arabia. Any attempt to undermine Saudi Arabia’s unwavering position and misrepresentation of its commitment to the Palestinian cause is deeply regrettable.” Earlier, Israeli officials suggested the establishment of a Palestinian state on Saudi territory. Netanyahu appeared to be joking on Thursday when he responded to an interviewer on pro-Netanyahu Channel 14 who mistakenly said “Saudi state” instead of “Palestinian state”, before correcting himself. 

Saudi Arabia affirmed its categorical rejection of remarks by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about displacing Palestinians from their land, the foreign ministry said in a statement on Sunday. While the Saudi statement mentioned Netanyahu’s name, it did not directly refer to the comments about establishing a Palestinian state in Saudi territory. 

Egypt and Jordan also condemned the Israeli suggestions, with Cairo deeming the idea as a “direct infringement of Saudi sovereignty”. The kingdom said it valued “brotherly” states’ rejection of Netanyahu’s remarks. “This occupying extremist mindset does not comprehend what the Palestinian territory means for the brotherly people of Palestine and its conscientious, historical and legal association with that land,” it said.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)