Smotrich to Saudis: keep riding camels if you ask for Palestinian state

JERUSALEM - Israel's far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said Thursday that Saudi Arabia should "keep riding camels in the desert" if it asks for a Palestinian state in exchange for normalising ties with the Jewish state.

"If Saudi Arabia tells us normalisation in exchange for a Palestinian state, friends, no thank you," Smotrich said at a conference in Israel.

"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.

Smotrich's highly provocative statement was condemned by Opposition leader Yair Lapid.

"To our friends in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Middle East, Smotrich does not represent the State of Israel", Lapid posted on X in Arabic.

Smotrich's remark is a direct and derogatory insult to Saudi Arabia, a nation that the current Israeli government, and previous ones, have actively sought to normalize relations with, further undermining any ongoing or future diplomatic efforts.

 The United States has been actively mediating a potential normalization deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia, with a Palestinian component widely understood to be a necessary element for Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia has consistently stated that a credible path to a Palestinian state is a prerequisite for full normalization with Israel.

Smotrich has consistently opposed a two-state solution and any form of Palestinian statehood and often supports further annexation of Palestinian territories and expansion of Israeli settlements, which are considered illegal under international law and a major obstacle to a two-state solution.