Official Saudi media launched a strong attack Monday on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over his statements against the kingdom and criticized US President Donald Trump’s plan to seize Gaza and forcibly displace Palestinians.
The ongoing criticism spanned various media formats, including news coverage and opinion articles published by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), Al-Ekhbariya TV and newspapers such as Al-Riyadh, Okaz and Al-Madina.
‘Prime minister of the occupation’
On Monday, the Saudi Press Agency continued its second day of publishing condemnations from international organizations and Arab and Islamic countries regarding Netanyahu’s statements. Libya’s Foreign Ministry described them as “hostile and provocative,” while the Muslim World League called them “absurd.”
Through televised reports and posts on X, Al-Ekhbariya TV harshly criticized Netanyahu and rejected Trump’s plan to forcibly displace Palestinians.
The channel reiterated key positions of the kingdom as stated by the Foreign Ministry, including “Palestine is our foremost cause, and the Palestinian people’s rights are immutable,” “Extremist mindsets fail to grasp what Palestinian land means to its people” and “The Palestinian people’s rights remain steadfast.”
In a report, Al-Ekhbariya TV described Netanyahu as “the prime minister of the Israeli occupation,” “a descendant of an extremist Zionist family” and “a Zionist by birth who inherited extremism genetically.”
The report further said that “Netanyahu’s grandfather was an extremist, his father even more so. He does not believe in peace, seeing war as the only way to secure his future. His extremist mindset thrives on bloodshed.”
“He blindly marches toward an abyss of his own making, digging a fate from which he will never return,” it added.
On X, Al-Madina newspaper described the Foreign Ministry’s response to Netanyahu as “a Saudi statement that sets the record straight on the occupation,” asserting that “gangster-like mentalities do not foster coexistence or peace, and no statement can divert attention from ongoing crimes.”
Reaffirming Saudi Arabia’s rejection of Palestinian displacement, Al-Ekhbariya TV aired a report Sunday underscoring “the kingdom’s unwavering stance against the Israeli occupation.”
It included an historic speech by Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud from many years ago when he was governor of Riyadh in which he declared that “Palestine is the kingdom’s foremost cause, no matter what other urgent issues arise.”
‘Middle East is not a playground for Israel’s ambitions and fantasies’
In its Monday edition, Al-Riyadh newspaper ran the headline: “The Kingdom’s Sovereignty Is a Red Line,” highlighting “an Arab-Islamic mobilization against Netanyahu’s statements and a reaffirmation of Palestinian rights.”
Under the title “The Firm Position,” the newspaper emphasized that Saudi Arabia’s unwavering support for the Palestinian cause dates back to King Abdulaziz Al Saud’s participation in the London Conference in the 1930s.
In an opinion piece published Monday, columnist Ali Al-Khashiban wrote under the headline “The Two-State Solution Has a High Cost…But Palestine Deserves It.”
“No matter how much Israel claims democratic purity and regional dominance, it must realize that the Middle East is not a playground for its ambitions and fantasies,” he said.
Columnist Khaled bin Ali Al-Mutrafi wrote in Al-Riyadh on Monday: “Since Trump spoke about his plan to displace Gaza’s residents, the Saudi response from the highest political levels was swift and decisive.”
“What distinguishes Riyadh’s political stance is its shift from conventional diplomatic language to a sharper, more assertive tone in confronting projects aimed at liquidating the Palestinian cause,” he added.
‘Colonial Mindset’
Under the headline “Netanyahu and Saudi Arabia…Statements That Reveal Israel’s Predicament,” Turki Al-Raj’aan wrote in Okaz on Monday: “Netanyahu’s statement is not merely a political miscalculation; it exposes a fundamental crisis in Israel’s strategic thinking.”
Describing Netanyahu’s comments as “an obvious attempt to divert attention from his internal crisis,” he added: “At its core, Netanyahu’s remarks reveal an outdated colonial mindset attempting to reassert itself in a modern context.”
On Thursday, Netanyahu suggested that Palestinians should establish their state in Saudi Arabia rather than in their own homeland, dismissing any notion of Palestinian sovereignty.
“The Saudis can create a Palestinian state in Saudi Arabia; they have a lot of land over there,” he said.
On Feb. 4, Trump said the US would “take over” Gaza and resettle Palestinians elsewhere under an extraordinary redevelopment plan that he claimed could turn the enclave into “the Riviera of the Middle East.”
His proposal was met with widespread condemnation from Palestinians, Arab countries and many other nations across the world, including Canada, France, Germany and the UK.
Trump had initially triggered an uproar last week by suggesting that Palestinians in Gaza should be relocated to Jordan and Egypt, calling the enclave a “demolition site” after Israel’s 15-month war, which has claimed more than 48,000 lives. A ceasefire that took hold on Jan. 19 is currently in place.
His proposal, however, was vehemently rejected by Amman and Cairo as reported in Anadolu.
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