Naveed Ahmad Khan
Islamabad: Pakistan Sunday strongly condemns in unequivocal terms the recent statement by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suggesting that the Palestinian people should establish a state in Saudi Arabia.
Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar stated that the Israeli remark is irresponsible, provocative and thoughtless, which is not only deeply offensive but also undermines and disregards the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people to self-determination and an independent State on their own historical and legitimate territory.
Senator Dar said that Pakistan stands in solidarity with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and commends its steadfast support for the Palestinian people and their just cause.
Israeli officials have 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.
“Any attempt to undermine Saudi Arabia’s unwavering position and misrepresention of its commitment to the Palestinian cause are deeply regrettable.”
Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Dar said Pakistan firmly believes that the Palestinian people have an inalienable right to establish an independent and sovereign state based on the pre-1967 borders, with Al Quds Al Sharif as its capital. Any proposal that seeks to displace or relocate the Palestinian people from their ancestral homeland is unacceptable and constitutes a blatant violation of international law, United Nations resolutions and the principles of justice and fairness.
He said that the Government of Pakistan reiterates its unflinching support for the Palestinian cause and will continue to work closely with Saudi Arabia and other members of the international community to advocate for the rights of the Palestinian people and to achieve a just, comprehensive and lasting solution to the Palestinian issue.
Pakistan urges the international community to denounce this provocative remark and hold Israel accountable for its continued attempts to undermine the peace process.
In an earlier statement by the Saudi foreign ministry, Saudi Arabia affirmed its categorical rejection of remarks by Netanyahu.
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.
Discussions of the fate of Palestinians in Gaza have been upended by Tuesday’s shock proposal from President Donald Trump that the US would “take over the Gaza Strip” from Israel and create a “Riviera of the Middle East” after resettling Palestinians elsewhere.
Arab states have roundly condemned Trump’s comments, which came during a fragile ceasefire in the Gaza bombardment that Israel has been waging against the fighter group Hamas, which controls the narrow strip.
Trump has said Saudi Arabia was not demanding a Palestinian state as a condition for normalising ties with Israel. But Riyadh rebuffed his statements, saying it would not establish ties with Israel without the creation of a Palestinian state.
Gaza authorities say the bombardment has killed more than 47,000 of the nearly 2 million Palestinians who live there.
Israel launched its offensive after Hamas fighters killed some 1,200 people and seized more than 250 as hostages in an October 7, 2023, attack, according to Israeli tallies.
In a separate statement, the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) also “strongly condemned” Netanyahu’s statement.
GCC Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi said in a statement that “these dangerous and irresponsible statements confirm the approach of the Israeli occupation forces in their lack of respect for international laws and treaties, as well as the sovereignty of nations”.
He affirmed the “firm and steadfast position of the Kingdom and the GCC countries in supporting the Palestinian people in obtaining their legitimate rights and the significant and valuable efforts exerted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the GCC countries in regional and international forums to support the Palestinian cause”.
The official also renewed his call on the international community “to seriously and decisively stand against these aggressive Israeli statements, which pose a threat and danger to the security and stability of the region and the world at large”.
