A war of words erupted between Israel and Saudi Arabia after a journalist’s slip of the tongue stirred up controversy. On February 6, an Israeli journalist accidentally referred to a "Saudi state" instead of a "Palestinian state." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seemed to agree with the mistake, suggesting that Saudi Arabia could create a Palestinian state on its land. “The Saudis can create a Palestinian state in Saudi Arabia; they have a lot of land over there,” Netanyahu said. The comment quickly caught fire, sparking heated responses across the Middle East.
Saudi Arabia was quick to shut down the idea, with the kingdom’s foreign ministry firmly stating that Palestinians have a right to their own land. "They are not intruders or immigrants who can be expelled whenever Israel wants," the statement read, making it clear that the Saudi kingdom would not support any notion of resettling Palestinians elsewhere. Other Arab nations, including Qatar, Jordan, Egypt, the UAE, Kuwait, and Iraq, also expressed their anger at the suggestion.
But the controversy didn’t end there. US President Donald Trump entered the conversation with his own provocative comments about Gaza. Trump, speaking on his way to the Super Bowl, suggested that the US could take control of Gaza, resettle Palestinians elsewhere, and “own” the region. “I’m committed to buying and owning Gaza,” he said, adding that other Middle Eastern countries could help rebuild the area. Trump’s comments, seen by many as a proposal for ethnic cleansing, were immediately condemned by Arab leaders.
The suggestion that the US could take control of Gaza and resettle its people has raised alarm among global leaders. While the idea of relocating Palestinians has long been controversial, both Netanyahu’s comments and Trump’s proposal have added fuel to the fire in an already tense situation.
For now, it’s clear that the battle of words between Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the US over Gaza’s future will only intensify as nations continue to voice their opposition to such drastic measures. But one thing is certain: the fate of the Palestinian people is still a deeply sensitive and complicated issue that no amount of political posturing will easily resolve.
