Saudi Arabia condemns Israel's 'extremist, occupying mentality' in growing row over housing Palestinians

Government denounces Netanyahu’s claim of a Palestinian state in the kingdom

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the US Capitol in Washington last week. Bloomberg.

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Saudi Arabia has accused the Israeli government of pursuing an 'extremist, occupying mentality' amid a growing row over the claim it could house millions of Palestinians on its land.

In a strongly worded statement on Sunday, its Foreign Ministry accused Israel of "continuous crimes" and "ethnic cleansing" of the Palestinian people.

It followed comments made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to an Israeli TV channel, saying: “The Saudis can create a Palestinian state in Saudi Arabia; they have a lot of land over there."

The Saudi statement on Sunday mentioned Mr Netanyahu's name but did not directly refer to the comments about establishing a Palestinian state in Saudi territory. The UAE and Egypt are among the Arab states to condemn Mr Netanyahu's suggestion.

"The kingdom stresses its categorical rejection to such statements that aim to divert attention from the continuous crimes committed by the Israeli occupation against the Palestinian brothers in Gaza, including the ethnic cleansing they are subjected to," the Saudi Foreign Ministry said.

They are not intruders or immigrants to it who can be expelled whenever the brutal Israeli occupation wishes

Saudi foreign ministry

"The kingdom also points out that this extremist, occupying mentality does not understand what the Palestinian land means to the brotherly people of Palestine and their emotional, historical and legal connection to this land, and it does not think that the Palestinian people deserve to live in the first place, as it has completely destroyed the Gaza Strip, killed and injured more than 160,000 most of them children and women, without the slightest human feeling or moral responsibility.

"The kingdom affirms that the Palestinian people have a right to their land, and they are not intruders or immigrants to it who can be expelled whenever the brutal Israeli occupation wishes."

It stressed that only a two-state solution can lead to peace.

In the UAE, Khalifa Shaheen Al Marar, Minister of State, expressed his country's full solidarity with Saudi Arabia and said it is standing with it against any threat to its security, stability and sovereignty. He said the kingdom's sovereignty is a “red line”.

Mr Al Marar also stressed the UAE's categorical rejection of any infringement on the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people or attempts to displace them.

He called for the need to halt settlement activities that threaten regional stability and undermine opportunities for peace and coexistence, and urged the international community, the UN and the Security Council to assume their responsibilities and put an end to illegal practices that contravene international law.

The UAE's statement was echoed by Palestinian and Egyptian officials over the weekend.

Qatar, a mediator in Gaza ceasefire negotiations between Hamas and Israel condemned on Sunday Mr Netanyahu's comments as "provocative", the Qatari Foreign Ministry said.