Israel's Smotrich tells Saudi Arabia: 'Keep riding your camels in the desert'

Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on Thursday that Israel should reject a normalisation deal with Saudi Arabia in exchange for a Palestinian state. 

"If Saudi Arabia tells us that it is normalisation in exchange for a Palestinian state, then no thank you, my friends," Smotrich said at a conference hosted by the Tzomet Institute, addressing a question on relations with Saudi Arabia

"Keep riding your camels in the Saudi desert. We'll continue to develop our economy, society, and state with all the great things we know how to do."

The statement comes as Israel's parliament passed a preliminary reading of a bill to annex the occupied West Bank, a move that was criticised by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party. 

The party said the passing of the bill was an attempt to embarrass the government while US Vice President JD Vance visited the country, dismissing it as “trolling… aimed at damaging our relations with the US and Israel’s great achievements in the campaign” in Gaza.

Read more: Israel's Smotrich tells Saudi Arabia: 'Keep riding your camels in the desert'