Netanyahu criticised by Saudi Arabia after joking they have room for Palestinian state
Donald Trump doubles-down on Gaza 'real estate site' claims
Lee Harpin is the Jewish News's political editor
Benjamin Netanyahu has sparked criticism from Saudi Arabia after suggesting that a Palestinian state could be established there as they have “a lot of land.”
Speaking to a pro-government channel over the weekend, Israel’s prime minister replied to a slip of the tongue by the interviewer who said there would be no advance on normalisation with Saudi Arabia without a “Saudi state”.
“You mean a Palestinian state, unless of course you want a Palestinian state to be in Saudi?,” laughed the Israeli PM.
“They have a lot of land there, a lot of land,” he saidin an interview with Channel 14.
In a statement the Saudi foreign ministry rejected the suggestion that it could take Palestinians, and accused Netanyahu of trying to “divert attention” from Israel’s actions in Gaza.
The statement added “the Palestinian people have a right to their land, and they are not intruders or immigrants to it who can be expelled whenever the brutal Israeli occupation wishes”.
Prior to the October 7 Hamas attacks Saudi Arabia looked to be heading towards a normalisation deal with Israel.
But the Saudis have reiterated they will not establish ties with Israel without the creation of a Palestinian state.
On Sunday, Donald Trump doubled-down on his claim he was committed to “buying and owning” Gaza and turning it into a “good site for future development”.
Trump again insisted he is committed to “owning” Gaza which he described as a “real estate site”.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
