Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich expressed partial regret on Thursday for his "unfortunate" remarks about Saudi Arabia after a wave of criticism at home and abroad, but doubled down on rejecting any normalisation deal tied to the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Earlier on Thursday, Smotrich said Saudi Arabia could "keep riding camels" if it demanded the creation of an independent Palestinian state in exchange for normalising relations with Israel.
"My statement regarding Saudi Arabia was unfortunate, and I regret any offence it may have caused," Smotrich said in a video posted on X, adding that he had not intended to insult the kingdom.
Smotrich, who heads the far-right Religious Zionism party, made the remarks at a conference hosted by the Israeli daily Makor Rishon, where he declared: "If Saudi Arabia tells us normalisation in exchange for a Palestinian state, friends, no thank you - keep riding camels on the desert sands, and we will continue to develop economically and socially, with all the great things we know how to do."
His comments drew swift condemnation across Israel, with opposition leader Yair Lapid addressing Saudis directly in a post on X in the Arabic language, saying: "To our friends in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Middle East, Smotrich does not represent the State of Israel."
Lapid urged Smotrich to apologise, saying the remarks "embarrass Israel and harm its diplomacy".
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
Former Defence Minister Benny Gantz also condemned Smotrich's comments, saying they "indicate ignorance and a lack of understanding of his responsibility as a senior government minister".
US President Donald Trump has made Saudi-Israeli normalisation one of his next foreign policy objectives after brokering similar agreements between Israel and a series of Arab states.
Israeli media had reported renewed momentum in US-backed efforts to advance Saudi–Israeli normalisation talks linked to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's Vision 2030 programme, which seeks to diversify Saudi Arabia's economy through regional cooperation in technology, defence, and energy.
A report by the Israeli daily Israel Hayom this week said Washington had expected "a genuine and sustained breakthrough" in Saudi–Israeli ties within the next year, possibly before Israel's 2026 elections.
Officials in Riyadh have reportedly insisted that any deal must include tangible steps toward the establishment of a Palestinian state, a condition long rejected by Israel's far-right government.
Smotrich, a staunch opponent of Palestinian statehood who has long pushed to annex the occupied West Bank and Gaza, told the same conference that Israel must "cut the false link between relations with Arab states and the lie called the Palestinian people, cause, or state".
His latest controversy comes as his political standing weakens, as multiple polls have shown that his Religious Zionism party risks failing to pass the electoral threshold for the next Knesset elections.
The decline has been attributed to his hardline positions on West Bank settlements, his religious nationalist rhetoric, and growing public frustration with the country's economic challenges.
According to Israeli media, members of the governing coalition are discussing the possibility of lowering the current 3.25 percent electoral threshold to avoid Smotrich's party being excluded from parliament in a sign of concern within the coalition about losing seats and influence tied to his faction.