Israeli minister apologises for telling Saudi Arabia to 'keep riding camels'

Israel’s hardline Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has apologised for remarks he made about Saudi Arabia, calling them “unfortunate.”

Speaking at a conference in Israel, Smotrich had said that if Saudi Arabia demanded the creation of a Palestinian state as part of a potential normalisation deal, Israel would reject the offer. “If Saudi Arabia tells us normalisation in exchange for a Palestinian state — friends, no thank you,” he remarked.

He went on to add, “Keep riding camels in the Saudi desert; we’ll continue building a real economy, a thriving society, a strong state, and all the remarkable things we know how to create.”

Israeli ultranationalist minister of finance Smotrich: "If Saudi Arabia is telling us that in return for normalization they want a Palestinian state - we will say: Friends, no thank you, you can continue riding camels on the sand in the Saudi desert" pic.twitter.com/BcPMhbHRns

— Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) October 23, 2025

After backlash, Smotrich later issued a video statement on X, saying, “My statement regarding Saudi Arabia was unfortunate, and I regret any offence it may have caused.”

Opposition leader Yair Lapid was among the first to condemn the remarks, writing on X in Arabic: “To our friends in Saudi Arabia and across the Middle East — Smotrich does not represent the State of Israel.” Lapid also urged the minister to issue an apology.