Doha – Qatar strongly condemned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent comment suggesting that a Palestinian state could be established inside Saudi territory, calling it a “provocative” statement, according to a February 9 statement from the Qatari Foreign Ministry.
Netanyahu made the remark during a February 6 interview on Channel 14, a pro-Netanyahu Israeli news outlet. The interviewer mistakenly referred to a “Saudi state” instead of a “Palestinian state”, before quickly correcting himself. However, Netanyahu appeared to joke about the slip, prompting strong reactions.
Qatar, which plays a key role as a mediator in ceasefire talks between Hamas and Israel, criticized Netanyahu’s comment, stating that such rhetoric undermines peace efforts in the region.