@sigma_three11: ISRAELI MINISTER BEZALEL SMOTRICH SPARKS OUTRAGE WITH ‘CAMELS’ COMMENT SAUDI BACKLASH AS HE REJECTS NORMALIZATION TIED TO PALESTINIAN STATE Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich drew condemnation after saying the Saudis could “keep riding camels” if normalization with Israel required creating a Palestinian state. Speaking at a religious conference, Smotrich said Israel would continue to thrive without Saudi ties — remarks widely slammed by opposition leaders, including Yair Lapid and Benny Gantz, who accused him of ignorance and damaging Israel’s foreign relations. Hours later, Smotrich apologized, calling his comment “inappropriate,” but insisted Riyadh must respect Jewish rights to the West Bank. The uproar comes ahead of President Donald Trump’s planned White House meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, aimed at advancing normalization talks. Saudi Arabia has reaffirmed it will only recognize Israel if it commits to a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. #Israel #SaudiArabia #BezalelSmotrich #Normalization #Palestine #Trump #Netanyahu #MBS #MiddleEast #Diplomacy #Annexation #Jerusalem #TimesOfIsrael #Reuters

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Friday 24 October 2025 07:45:44 GMT