Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich reignited controversy on Monday by launching a fresh verbal attack on Saudi Arabia, just days after publicly apologizing for similar remarks that sparked diplomatic backlash.
Speaking during a weekly meeting of his Religious Zionism party, Smotrich dismissed the notion that normalization with Israel was a “favor” being granted by any Arab state. “No one and I repeat, no one is doing us a service by normalizing relations with us or joining the Abraham Accords,” he declared.
Smotrich’s remarks appeared to be a response to ongoing U.S.-led efforts to broker a normalization agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia, a key foreign policy goal that Washington has pursued since the Trump administration. The Abraham Accords, signed in 2020, led to Israel establishing formal ties with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Morocco, with the United States seeking to expand the framework to include Riyadh.
However, Saudi Arabia has repeatedly made clear that full diplomatic normalization with Israel would only be possible if there were a credible path toward the creation of an independent Palestinian state, an outcome firmly opposed by Israel’s far-right government.
Last week, during a closed party conference, Smotrich made highly inflammatory comments about the kingdom, saying: “If Saudi Arabia tells us ‘normalization in exchange for a Palestinian state,’ then, my friends, no thank you. Keep riding your camels in the desert we’ll continue building a technological powerhouse.”
The statement triggered outrage across the Arab world and prompted an unusual wave of criticism even within Israel’s political establishment. Within hours, Smotrich issued a public apology, posting a video message on X (formerly Twitter) saying: “My comment about Saudi Arabia was completely inappropriate, and I apologize for the offense it caused.”
But on Monday, the minister appeared to walk back his apology, doubling down on his criticism of the Saudi leadership. Responding to questions from reporters, Smotrich said, “Where were you when the Saudis spent two years accusing our soldiers of genocide? They deny our heritage, our traditions, our history, and even the Bible. We have managed to live for 77 years without them, and we can live another 77 years the same way.”
Smotrich, one of the most hardline figures in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition, has frequently drawn international condemnation for his inflammatory rhetoric toward Arabs and Palestinians. His renewed comments threaten to further strain Israel’s already fragile diplomatic environment, particularly at a time when Washington is seeking to stabilize regional relations following the Gaza conflict.
Saudi officials have not yet issued a response to Smotrich’s latest remarks, but analysts suggest his statements could complicate behind-the-scenes U.S. mediation efforts aimed at reviving the normalization process. Observers note that Riyadh, under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has sought to balance regional diplomacy with its insistence on meaningful progress toward Palestinian statehood.
Smotrich’s latest outburst underscores the internal divisions within Israel’s government over the future of relations with Arab states and highlights how far-right ideology continues to challenge diplomatic overtures that once promised to reshape the Middle East’s political landscape.
