‘Relocate Israelis to Alaska’ Saudi Official Tells Trump

A member of the Saudi Shura Council has criticized US President Donald Trump’s proposal to move Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, suggesting that relocating Israelis to Alaska and Greenland would be a better solution to Middle East stability.

Trump has suggested relocating Palestinians from Gaza on several occasions, claiming that he will carry out an extraordinary redevelopment plan to transform the enclave into “the Riviera of the Middle East.”

Following Trump’s remarks, which were widely condemned by several major Arab, European, and other countries, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ironically suggested on Thursday 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.

“If he (Trump) truly wants to be a hero of peace and achieve stability and prosperity for the Middle East, he should relocate his beloved Israelis to the state of Alaska and then to Greenland—after annexing it,” Shura Council member Yousef bin Trad Al-Saadoun said in an article for the Saudi newspaper Okaz on Friday.

He urged Palestinians to remain united, as “the worst is yet to come.”

Trump’s proposal was met with wide condemnations from the Palestinians, Arab countries, and many other nations across the world, including Canada, France, Germany, and the UK.

Saadoun also dismissed Netanyahu’s call for establishing a Palestinian state on Saudi territory.

“The Zionists and their allies must realize they will not succeed in dragging the Saudi leadership into media traps and false political pressures,” he said.

The Saudi official further criticized Trump’s decision-making, arguing that poor choices are made by those who “ignore accumulated knowledge and expertise” and refuse to consult specialists.

He also accused Washington of blindly adopting Israel’s methods.

“The official foreign policy of the United States will seek the illegal occupation of sovereign land and the ethnic cleansing of its population—both of which are Israel’s methods and constitute crimes against humanity.”

Riyadh on Sunday strongly condemned Netanyahu’s comments about Palestinian statehood in Saudi Arabia and emphasized the right of the Palestinian people to their land.

The Saudi Shura Council, whose members are appointed by the king, advises on policy and legislation but lacks legislative power, focusing on laws, economic plans, and social policies.

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Riyadh Outraged at Netanyahu’s Creating ‘Palestine’ on Saudi Lands

The Saudi Foreign Ministry announced, Sunday, its rejection of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s statements about establishing a Palestinian state on the Kingdom’s lands. It stated that these comments are “aimed to divert attention from the crimes committed by the Israeli occupation against the Palestinians in Gaza, including the ethnic cleansing they are subjected to.”

The ministry stressed, in a statement, that “the Palestinian people have a right to their land, and are not intruders or immigrants who can be expelled whenever the brutal Israeli occupation wants.”

In response to Netanyahu, it added: “This extremist occupation mentality does not understand what the Palestinian land means to the brotherly Palestinian people and their emotional, historical and legal connection to it, and does not consider that the Palestinian people deserve life in the first place.”

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It continued that “this extremist occupation mentality completely destroyed Gaza and killed and injured 160,000 Palestinians, most of whom were children and women, without the slightest human feeling or moral responsibility.”

With American support, Israel committed genocide in Gaza between 7 October, 2023 and January 19, 2025, leaving more than 159,000 Palestinians dead and wounded, most of them children and women, and more than 14,000 missing.

The Saudi ministry pointed out that “the owners of these extremist ideas are the ones who prevented Israel from accepting peace, by rejecting peaceful coexistence, rejecting peace initiatives adopted by Arab countries, and practicing systematic injustice against the Palestinian people for more than 75 years.”

It stressed that “the extremist occupation mentality does not care about right, justice, law, and the values ​​​​established in the United Nations Charter, including the right of a person to live in dignity on his land.”

The Kingdom also appreciated “what sister countries announced in terms of condemnation, disapproval, and complete rejection of what Netanyahu stated regarding the displacement of the Palestinian people from their land,” according to the same statement.

It explained that “these positions, which reject the establishment of a Palestinian state on the lands of the Kingdom, confirm the centrality of the Palestinian cause to Arab and Islamic countries.”

The Saudi Foreign Ministry concluded by saying that “the right of the brotherly Palestinian people will remain steadfast, and no one will be able to take it away from them no matter how long it takes, and lasting peace will not be achieved except by returning to the logic of reason and accepting the principle of peaceful coexistence through the two-state solution.”

In response to its firm position adhering to the establishment of a Palestinian state, Netanyahu said on Friday that “Saudi Arabia has vast areas and can establish a Palestinian state on them,” in response to a question from the Hebrew Channel 14 broadcaster regarding Riyadh’s insistence on establishing a Palestinian state as a condition to normalize relations with Tel Aviv.

Netanyahu claimed that “Riyadh does not stipulate the establishment of a Palestinian state for normalization with Israel.”

On more than one occasion, Saudi Arabia has stipulated the Israeli government’s approval of the establishment of a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders in exchange for normalizing relations.

Netanyahu’s statements come days after US President Donald Trump spoke about his country’s intention to seize the Gaza Strip and displace the Palestinians from it, and that Saudi Arabia no longer stipulates the establishment of a Palestinian state for normalization with Israel, which sparked widespread regional and international rejection.

Since 25 January, Trump has been promoting a plan to displace Palestinians from Gaza to neighboring countries such as Egypt and Jordan, which was rejected by both countries, and was joined by other Arab countries and regional and international organizations as reported by Anadolu news.

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Netanyahu: ‘Saudis Can Create a Palestinian State on Their Land’

In a bomb-shell remark Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, Thursday, if the Palestinians want an independent state they should establish it in Saudi Arabia.  

The remark made in Israel’s Channel 14 interview, is gaining much  traction. It is trending on the social media with commentary and images.

“The Saudis can create a Palestinian state in Saudi Arabia, they have a lot of land there,” he told the interviewer and he was being serious.

Netanyahu’s comments as can be expected, are being carried by many news agencies around the world. This latest controversial statement was made after US President Donald Trump said Tuesday, the United States is going to take over Gaza and turn it into a “Middle East Riviera”.

The Saudi Foreign Ministry was quick to fire-down the comments made by Netanyahu which were made within the context of normalization with Riyadh.

the Saudi Foreign Ministry dismissed Netanyahu’s narrative reiterating normalization with Israel is off the table unless a Palestinian state is established according to the Anadolu news agency.  It adds that this is “a stance Netanyahu continues to disregard.”

In another report in Al Mayadeen it was reported that normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel is not an option until the two-state solution is realized and a Palestinian state is established. This is while the Saudi ambassador to Washington emphasized that Riyadh is open to future ties with Israel but insists on a ceasefire and the establishment of a Palestinian state first. 

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Saudi Arabia Reaffirms Palestinian Statehood

Saudi Arabia has reaffirmed its stance on Palestinian statehood, stating that normalization with Israel will not happen without an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital. The Saudi Foreign Ministry issued the statement at 4:00 a.m. on Tuesday, directly contradicting remarks made earlier by US President Donald Trump.

The statement emphasized that Saudi Arabia’s position on the Palestinian issue is “firm and unshakable.” It cited Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s speech on September 18, 2024, during the opening of the Shura Council’s ninth session. In that speech, the crown prince made it clear that the kingdom remains committed to the establishment of a Palestinian state and will not establish diplomatic ties with Israel without it.

The ministry also referred to the extraordinary Arab-Islamic summit in Riyadh on November 11, 2024. During the summit, the crown prince reiterated Saudi Arabia’s commitment to a Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders. He also urged more countries to recognize Palestine and called on the international community to support Palestinian rights.

The Saudi statement came just hours after Trump claimed that Saudi Arabia no longer insists on Palestinian statehood as a condition for normalization with Israel. His remarks sparked speculation about a potential shift in Saudi policy, but the Foreign Ministry’s statement dismissed any such notion.

The ministry stressed that Saudi Arabia rejects any infringement on Palestinian rights. It condemned Israeli settlement expansion, land annexation, and forced displacement of Palestinians. It also called on the international community to ease the severe humanitarian suffering in Palestine.

Saudi Arabia reaffirmed that its stance is non-negotiable. “Permanent and just peace cannot be achieved without the Palestinian people obtaining their legitimate rights in accordance with international resolutions,” the statement read. The ministry also noted that this position has been clearly communicated to both the previous Biden administration and the current administration according to the Quds News Network.

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Amos Harel: Israel Didn’t Defeat Hamas

Israeli military analyst Amos Harel has dismissed a “total victory” for Tel Aviv in the Gaza war, arguing that such assertions, promoted by supporters of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, are contrary to the ground reality.

Harel, a military affairs analyst for the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, in his write-up published on Friday, stated, “One has to be a blind follower who has shed all vestiges of doubt and criticism to believe that Israel actually defeated Hamas.”

“The organization sustained a tremendous military blow, but it certainly did not surrender,” he noted, adding that “that’s not consistent with Netanyahu’s declarations about the war’s goals, or with his promises in its course.”


US mediation efforts

Harel also touched on the role of the US in the region, highlighting that the administration of President Donald Trump is pushing for the full implementation of a multi-phase ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement between Israel and Hamas. This contrasts with Netanyahu’s preference to focus solely on the initial phase.

The ceasefire, which began on Jan. 19, is set to last for 42 days in its first stage, with negotiations ongoing for subsequent phases under the mediation of Egypt, Qatar, and the US.

According to Harel, “The visit to the region by Steve Witkoff, US President Donald Trump’s special Mideast Envoy, attested to the mood of the administration.

“Washington views the first phase of the deal as a necessary point of transition to the second phase, which in itself is preparation for the bigger deal.

“Washington views the first phase of the deal as a necessary point of transition to the second phase, which in itself is preparation for the bigger deal: huge US-Saudi contracts accompanied by normalization between Riyadh and Jerusalem.”

He added that “Witkoff was here to ensure that Israel continues on the track laid out by Trump,” with key details expected to be discussed next week in a meeting between Trump and Netanyahu in Washington. This meeting, Harel suggested, holds significant weight as reported in Anadolu.


Challenges to Gaza deportation plans

Harel also addressed Trump’s controversial suggestion of relocating Palestinians from Gaza to neighboring countries, highlighting the practical difficulties in implementing such a proposal.

The idea is partly aimed at maintaining Netanyahu’s coalition with the far right. However, he noted that the chances of executing such a plan are slim.

“Washington’s bargaining power in the Middle East on emigration doesn’t resemble what it’s capable of achieving with its neighbors in Latin America,” said the analyst.

“Trump appears to be looking at Gaza like the real estate entrepreneur he used to be. To resettle the destroyed area, an evacuation-construction project is needed,” he explained.

Harel pointed out that while these proposals align with the long-standing aspirations of Israel’s right-wing to remove Palestinians from the equation, they are likely to face strong resistance.

“Such schemes will inevitably encounter Palestinian opposition, backed by Arab states. At this moment, it is difficult to imagine any Arab leader endorsing Trump’s relocation plan for Gaza,” he concluded.

On Jan. 25, Trump publicly proposed relocating Gaza’s Palestinian population to nearby countries like Egypt and Jordan. His suggestion has been widely rejected by several countries, including Jordan, Iraq, France, Germany, the Arab League, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and the UN.

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