(MENAFN- Khaleej Times)

In a sharp statement on Thursday, Emirati businessman Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor, denounced "provocative statements" made by Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.

Habtoor, who is the founding chairman of the conglomerate Al Habtoor Group, said that the minister had "insulted the largest Arab country with mockery and arrogance".

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Smotrich, in a video that went viral, said at an event, "If Saudi Arabia tells us 'normalisation in exchange for a Palestinian state,' friends - no thank you. Keep riding camels on the sand in the Saudi desert; we'll keep truly developing - with an economy, a society, a state and all the great and wonderful things we know how to do."

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Later, the far-right minister did issue an apology, expressing regret for what he called his "unfortunate" remarks about Saudi Arabia in a video on X.

Habtoor, however, said that the verbal apology could not "erase an insult of this magnitude".

He added, "Let Mr Smotrich, and those who share his arrogant mindset, know that anyone who thinks normalisation is the gateway to progress knows nothing about the journey of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council states, which have steadily paved their way toward development and prosperity, becoming a global model in the fields of energy, technology, investment, and urban renaissance."

Addressing the latter part of Smotrich's original statement, Habtoor emphasised that the relationships of nations in the Gulf with Israel are not a measure for their progress. "On the contrary, it is Israel that needs peace with its Arab neighbors to secure its future, not the other way around."

He added: "This racist rhetoric from a minister in a government supposedly seeking normal relations with the Arab World reflects a sick, superior mindset and reveals clear contempt for the region's peoples and a belittling of their history and status."

The businessman then called for a united Arab stance on this subject, by asking, "Will we suffice with silence in the face of this brazen transgression?"

He concluded by pointedly saying, "Dignity is not a seasonal slogan to be raised when needed; it is a steadfast principle defended through action and stance, before it is reduced to mere words."

Here's what happened

Israel's far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Thursday expressed regret for what he called his "unfortunate" remarks about Saudi Arabia.

He had earlier told Saudi Arabia it could "keep riding camels" if it tried to demand an independent Palestinian state in return for normalising relations with Israel.

But he said that he also expected Saudis not to offend Israel.

"I'm also not willing to accept hypocrisy. Just as I don't intend to offend the Saudis, I expect from them not to offend me, or rather, offend us," he said.

"And anyone who denies the living and very deep connection we have to the regions of our homeland in Judea and Samaria, offends us," he added, using the Israeli Biblical term for the occupied West Bank.

Smotrich, who lives in a West Bank settlement, is an outspoken supporter of annexing the Palestinian territory, which has been occupied by Israel since 1967.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid had swiftly denounced the comments.

"To our friends in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Middle East, Smotrich does not represent the State of Israel", Lapid posted on X in Arabic, later calling for him to apologise.

Former defence minister Benny Gantz, another opposition figure, said that Smotrich's comments "indicate ignorance, and a lack of internalisation of his responsibility as a senior minister in the government and cabinet".

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