Tel Aviv, Israel – Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich apologized for statements he made that were deemed offensive to Saudi Arabia.
This came after he said in a media interview that Saudis should “continue riding camels.”
Rejecting any relationship conditional on the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Smotrich, one of the most prominent figures of the far-right in Benjamin Netanyahu’s government,
He caused widespread anger inside and outside Israel after he said, “Saudi Arabia has beauty,
and we have development and progress.”
In the context of his rejection of the rumors that Saudi Arabia might link expanding relations
with Israel to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
The Israeli Finance Minister issued a clarification statement saying that his remarks were “misunderstood,”
Pointing out that he “has great respect for the Saudi people and their leadership,”
Stressing that what he said was not intended to insult or belittle the Kingdom.
He continued, “I apologize for any offense that may have been misunderstood in my words.”
Pointing out that Israel “appreciates the important regional role that Saudi Arabia plays in achieving stability in the region.”
This crisis comes at a time when indirect negotiations between Riyadh and Tel Aviv are at a standstill.
Especially after the escalation of tension in Gaza and the West Bank.
Observers believe that Smotrich’s statements represent an additional embarrassment to Netanyahu’s government.
Which is trying to restore confidence with its Western and Arab allies after a year of political and military tensions.
Saudi Arabia has repeatedly stressed that relations with Israel are conditional on the establishment of a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders.
This is what the Israeli right, led by Netanyahu and his hardline ministers, rejects.
