Egypt strongly denounced remarks by Israeli officials suggesting the establishment of a Palestinian state on Saudi territory, calling them “irresponsible.”
Egypt’s foreign ministry issued a statement condemning the idea as a “direct infringement of Saudi sovereignty” and reaffirming that the kingdom’s security remains a “red line” for Cairo.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made the comments during an interview on pro-Netanyahu Channel 14, responding to a journalist who mistakenly said “Saudi state” instead of “Palestinian state.”
“A Palestinian state,” Netanyahu corrected, before adding with a smile, “Unless you want the Palestinian state to be in Saudi Arabia, they have a lot of territory.”
Though Netanyahu appeared to be joking, Egypt’s statement labeled such remarks as “reprehensible aggression” and a violation of diplomatic norms.
The controversy follows U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent suggestion that Palestinians be relocated from Gaza and resettled elsewhere, including in Egypt and Jordan.
Trump described his vision as transforming Gaza into a “Riviera of the Middle East” while proposing that the U.S. take temporary control of the territory.
Arab nations have long supported a two-state solution, insisting on a Palestinian homeland alongside Israel rather than forced displacement.
While Trump claimed Saudi Arabia did not demand a Palestinian state as a condition for normalizing ties with Israel, Riyadh swiftly dismissed this assertion.
Saudi officials reiterated that no diplomatic relations with Israel would be established without a Palestinian state, rejecting any suggestion of relocating Palestinians.