Saudi Arabia condemns US ambassador to Israel’s comments on Middle East, demands explanation
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has strongly condemned comments by the US ambassador to Israel suggesting that Israeli control over the entire Middle East is acceptable, calling them reckless and a violation of international law.
US Special Envoy to Israel Mike Huckabee said on Saturday that it would be acceptable for Israel to control the entire Middle East, including the West Bank.
Huckabee suggested he would not object to Israel occupying much of the Middle East.
In a statement, the Foreign Ministry said it “categorically condemned” the comments and rejected them as irresponsible statements that violate international law, the United Nations Charter and established diplomatic norms.
The ministry said the statement set a dangerous precedent, especially since it came from a U.S. official, and disregarded the U.S.’s relationships with countries in the region.
It warned that such a position would have grave consequences, threatening world peace and security by inciting hostility against peoples and states in the Middle East, and undermining the foundations of an international order based on respect for sovereignty and internationally recognized borders.
Saudi Arabia called on the US State Department to clarify its position on the remarks, stressing that the proposal was rejected by peace-loving countries around the world.
Saudi Arabia reaffirmed its firm opposition to any actions or statements that violate the country’s sovereignty, borders and territorial integrity, and reiterated that a just and comprehensive peace can only be achieved by ending the occupation and implementing a two-state solution.
The solution must include the establishment of an independent Palestinian state along the 1967 border with East Jerusalem as its capital, the statement said.
