The Media Line: ‘Keep Riding Camels’: Finance Minister’s Saudi Jibe Roils Israeli Politics 

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‘Keep Riding Camels’: Finance Minister’s Saudi Jibe Roils Israeli Politics 

By Gabriel Colodro/The Media Line 

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich set off a political firestorm on Thursday when, speaking at a conference in Jerusalem hosted by the Tzomet Institute and the Makor Rishon newspaper, he rejected any normalization deal with Saudi Arabia that includes a Palestinian state and disparaged Riyadh, saying Saudis could “keep riding camels in the desert.” He argued that Israel “will continue to grow with its economy, society and state” and declared, “the State of Israel will never establish a Palestinian state.” 

Smotrich also criticized Israel’s largely ceremonial head of state, President Isaac Herzog, accusing him of partisanship and calling him “the president of the Kaplan protest,” a reference to mass demonstrations on Tel Aviv’s Kaplan Street against the government’s judicial overhaul in 2023–2024. “When I was detained by the Shin Bet for three weeks before the disengagement, I didn’t get a call from the president,” Smotrich said. “Maybe he should call my wife now and share her sorrow instead.” 

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid responded swiftly, addressing Arab audiences and Israelis. Writing in Arabic on X, he said: “To our friends in Saudi Arabia and across the Middle East — Smotrich does not represent Israel.” In Hebrew, he added, “Instead of trying to advance agreements that could change the face of the Middle East, members of this government speak like online provocateurs. This is not how you lead change. Smotrich must apologize.” 

The exchange lands as Washington has sought a broader US-Saudi-Israel arrangement tying security guarantees and advanced arms for Riyadh to normalization with Israel, while Saudi officials have repeatedly said statehood for Palestinians must be part of any package. Israel previously normalized ties with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Morocco under the 2020 Abraham Accords, which expanded trade and security cooperation across the region. 

The finance minister’s comments also followed his stated support on Wednesday for a bill to apply “full Israeli sovereignty over Judea and Samaria,” the biblical term Israel uses for the West Bank. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party moved to contain the fallout, saying “true sovereignty is achieved not through show legislation but through responsible policy and diplomacy.” Annexation is widely opposed by most international partners and would likely complicate any path to ties with Saudi Arabia. 

Smotrich, leader of the Religious Zionism party and a key figure in the coalition’s right flank, has long rejected a Palestinian state and favors expanding Israeli authority in the West Bank. Herzog, by contrast, has held quiet outreach with Arab leaders in the service of normalization efforts and has urged consensus politics at home.