CAIRO - Several countries in the Middle East condemned on Sunday the remarks made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the establishment of a Palestinian state on Saudi territory.
Netanyahu's comments, made during an interview on Thursday with Israel's Channel 14, suggested that "Saudis can establish a Palestinian state in Saudi Arabia; they have plenty of land there."
The Saudi Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the kingdom rejects such statements that aim to divert attention from the "continuous crimes" committed by Israel.
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The kingdom emphasized that the Palestinian people have a right to their land, and lasting peace can only be achieved by returning to the logic of reason and accepting the principle of peaceful coexistence through the two-state solution.
In a statement, the Iraqi Foreign Ministry said Netanyahu's remarks constitute a blatant violation of the sovereignty of Saudi Arabia and an assault on the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, in addition to their violation of the rules of international law and the UN Charter.
The ministry expressed Iraq's full solidarity with Saudi Arabia, stressing that "any violation of the national sovereignty of any country is completely unacceptable."
Sufian Qudah, spokesperson for Jordan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, emphasized Jordan's rejection of the remarks, which he said reflect an exclusionary and inciteful ideology that is hostile to peace and fuels further escalation in the region.
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Qudah reaffirmed Jordan's full support and solidarity with Saudi Arabia, calling on the international community to condemn and denounce Netanyahu's statements.
Qatar's Foreign Ministry labeled the statements as a flagrant violation of international law and "a blatant infringement of the UN Charter."
In a statement, it reaffirmed the country's steadfast position on the justness of the Palestinian cause and the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, including the establishment of an independent state based on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
In response to the recent statements on relocating Palestinians in Gaza to other countries, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi has called for holding an emergency ministerial meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
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He made the appeal in separate phone calls on Saturday night with OIC Secretary-General Hissein Brahim Taha as well as his Egyptian, Tunisian, Turkish, and Pakistani counterparts, according to statements released by the Iranian Foreign Ministry.
During his talks, Araghchi condemned the "dangerous and disgraceful" US-Israeli plan to "forcefully" move Palestinians from Gaza to other countries, saying it was aimed at the "ethnic cleansing of Gaza and elimination of Palestine."
He urged that the OIC convene an extraordinary meeting to make a "decisive and effective" decision in defense of the Palestinians' rights.
