Netanyahu dismisses Saudi demand for a Palestinian state as 'nonsense' in Jerusalem remarks
What happened
On 22 October 2026, at about 09:43 UTC, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly rejected claims that Saudi Arabia is demanding a Palestinian state as a condition for normalization with Israel. According to the reported transcript, he told listeners, "Guys, if you believe that nonsense... Yes, publicly they say that. I don't want to tell you what I'm hearing." The remark implies that Riyadh's public position differs from private conversations he says he has had. The event is recorded as a statement and was attributed to Jerusalem. The only source is a single X account, @Osint613, which posted the quotation. The exact setting, audience and full context of the remarks are not specified in the data, and the quoted wording should be treated as the account's transcription rather than verified audio or video.
Context and assessment
The statement came during a cluster of Netanyahu remarks logged from Jerusalem on the same morning. Within the preceding hour he said Israel would always maintain control over Gaza and would not leave the territory, and that he was working with third-party countries to facilitate the displacement of Palestinians from Gaza. Earlier that day, reports said the United States and Israel were considering new strikes on Iran, including the use of a heavy penetrator munition against the Pickaxe Mountain nuclear facility, and Netanyahu separately described the Iranian leadership as a regime that could only be resolved by overthrow. Taken together, the sequence suggests that Israeli leadership is linking Gaza, Iran and regional diplomacy in its messaging. The Saudi remark fits that pattern because normalization with Riyadh has long been framed in Israel as tied to the Palestinian question. Operationally, a statement of this kind is best read as political signaling about negotiating positions rather than as a military development. Its significance depends on whether Saudi officials or independent outlets confirm or contest the private-conversation claim.
Sources and confidence
The event is reported by one channel only, X account @Osint613, and no wire service, official Israeli transcript, or Saudi response appears in the data. Confidence is low, at 5.9, reflecting single-source status and the lack of a verifiable recording. Corroboration would raise the score: a full official video or transcript from the Prime Minister's office, coverage by established outlets that quote the same wording, or an on-record reaction from Saudi officials would all help. Conversely, a denial from Riyadh, or evidence that the quotation was clipped or paraphrased, would lower confidence further.
Location
The location is recorded at settlement precision as Jerusalem, Israel, with coordinates near 31.773 N, 35.187 E. These coordinates appear to be a city-level point rather than a specific building, so the exact venue of the remarks is unknown. Jerusalem is the seat of the Israeli government and the location Netanyahu is most often recorded speaking from. The point lies close to the Old City area, though it should be read as approximate.
Related events nearby
- Netanyahu says Israel will always maintain control over Gaza and will not leave the territory.2026-10-22 09:31 UTC · Statement · Jerusalem, Israel
- Netanyahu says he is working extensively with third-party countries to facilitate the displacement of Palestin2026-10-22 09:27 UTC · Statement · Jerusalem, Israel
- Netanyahu says the only solution to Iran's 'fanatical regime' is to overthrow it, comparing it to the Allies' 2026-10-22 09:23 UTC · Statement · Jerusalem, Israel
- US and Israel reportedly plan new strikes on Iran, with the GBU-43/B 'Mother of All Bombs' considered against 2026-10-22 05:39 UTC · Statement · Jerusalem, Israel
- IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir says the IDF is stronger than ever, vows to prevent enemies from recovering, and2026-10-21 15:02 UTC · Statement · Jerusalem, Israel
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Intel Mapper aggregates open-source reports from monitored Telegram and X channels, geolocates them, cross-checks duplicates across sources and assigns a confidence score. Entries are updated as new confirmations arrive. Read how we verify events.