The Maldives government has condemned calls by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to establish a Palestinian state within the territory of Saudi Arabia.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Foreign Ministry condemned the "irresponsible and provocative statements made by the Prime Minister of Israel."
"The Maldives reaffirms its unwavering solidarity with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and categorically rejects any statements that threaten Saudi Arabia's sovereignty, security and territorial integrity," the statement read.
The Foreign Ministry added that such statements constitute a clear violation of international law and the United Nations Charter.
The Saudi government has also accused Netanyahu of attempting to “divert attention” from Israel’s ongoing “crimes” in Gaza, including “ethnic cleansing”.
“The kingdom affirms that the Palestinian people have a right to their land, and they are not intruders or immigrants to it who can be expelled whenever the brutal Israeli occupation wishes,” the Saudi Foreign Ministry stated.
In its statement, the Maldives government expressed the same views and called for an independent Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
"Such statements not only violate the sovereignty of Saudi Arabia, but also represent a continued denial of the rights of the Palestinian people," it stated.
On Thursday, Netanyahu responded to an interviewer on Israel’s Channel 14 who misspoke by saying “Saudi state” instead of “Palestinian state”.
“The Saudis can create a Palestinian state in Saudi Arabia; they have a lot of land over there,” Netanyahu said.
